Province social development ministers come up with collective promises to end inhuman practices

Kathmandu / Sept 18: The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, and province social development ministers have come up with collective commitments to end gender-based violence (GBV) and other harmful social practices including child labour, child/early marriage, human trafficking and smuggling, dowry, witchery charge and the chhaupadi (isolating menstruating and new mothers from home).

This has been declared in a letter of commitment (Kathmandu commitment) issued here today following the discussions held by the Ministry with social development ministers from all seven provinces Monday. They have expressed their readiness to working together to fight against such inhumane practices and social evils, protecting and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, senior citizens and gender identity and sexual minorities.

Issues like rescue of the survivors and affected of GBV and human trafficking, their rehabilitation and safety, establishment and operation of Arogya ashram (sanatorium) for helpless and physically incapacitated aged people, collaboration and cooperation in programmes to be operated by the center and province for the rehabilitation of disabled, monitoring and regulation of government and non-government-run child homes, rehabilitation centers, service centres and old-age homes in a coordinated way have been mentioned in the letter of commitments.

Similarly, province social development ministers have agreed to formulate plans aimed at making the cities free from street children through their rescue, rehabilitation, socialisation and family reunion, and against the above mentioned issues remaining as hurdles to the building of a just society and effectively implement them.

They have given words to cooperate and coordinate with governments in the implementation and monitoring of programmes to this end brought by the central government and in the management and mobilisation of rehabilitation fund, GBV prevention fund, single women security fund, emergency child rescue fund, disabled rehabilitation fund and senior citizen fund.

The commitment paper also mentioned that a special initiative would be taken from Social Development Ministry and Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen to fulfil the responsibilities as per the International Treaty and Commitment regarding women, children, persons with disabilities and senior citizens as well as to exchange report in this regard.

On the occasion, they expressed commitment that the Women, Children and Senior Citizen Ministry would make regular review with Social Development Ministry of provinces and provinces with local levels regarding quarterly and annual achievements, problems and challenges of the annual programmes executed in the sector of women, children, senior citizens and person with disabilities.

Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Binita Bhattarai said, ‘An understanding has been reached to play effective role by all three-level government to make activities of centre and provinces effective and systematic by holding the mutual discussion regarding role and coordination among all three levels.”

The federal government would now coordinate with social development ministry of provinces as the women and children offices of all districts were dissolved soon after the country adopted federal structure.

Minister Thamamaya Thapa on the behalf of the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Social Development Minister of Province 1, Jeevan Ghimire, Nabal Kishor Sah of Province 2, Nardevi Pun Magar of Gandaki province, Sudarshan Baral of Province 5, Dal Bahadur Rawal of Karnali province, Dirgha Bahadur Sodari of Province 7 and Ministry Secretary Dirgha Narayan Poudel on the behalf of Province 3, signed the commitment paper. RSS