Nepal

Women in the Asia Pacific region have the lowest rates of representation in politics, employment and property ownership, a new report presented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has revealed.The Asia Pacific Human Development report on gender, which was made public on the occasion of the 100th International Women’s Day today, revealed that women in the Asia Pacific region are socially, physically and economically backward and the progress remains slow particularly in South Asia.

"The problem is not in the laws but in the mindsets of government employees entrusted with the responsibility of issuing citizenship cards. They cannot imagine a women’s identity independent of a man," said the FLWD’s Meera Dhungana.

Experiences like Thapa’s are far from uncommon in the capital Kathmandu, and sure to be even more so in the interiors of Nepal. Ninety percent of Nepalis live in villages and many are born at home, so they are unlikely to have birth documents.

With one-third women in the Constituent Assembly (CA), the gender issues are likely to get prominence not only in the Constitution, but also in the state mechanism. However, women leaders still believe that their participation in the CA is only a foundation to build a gender equal society and that continuous efforts are required to keep this on the right track.

The Women's Caucus of the Constituent Assembly (CA) has published its position paper entitled - Women's Rights and Agenda to be incorporated in the New Constitution. The recommendations by women CA members were prepared on the basis of preliminary draft reports and concept papers of the constitutional and thematic committees of the CA. They represent the main agenda of women in the CA on matters which have been overlooked by these working committees.

Women lawmakers and four other members of parliament from marginalized and dalit communities obstructed the parliamentary proceedings on Sunday demanding appropriate representation of their communities in the state organs.

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With the May 28 target for a new constitution approaching and Nepal’s coalition government admitting it would not make the deadline, women are pushing for rights they want enshrined in the document. The campaign made them bear the brunt of a government ban on demonstrations around parliament announced on Tuesday, ahead of a critical ballot battle between Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal and the opposition parties with the beleaguered premier seeking one more year to draft the new constitution.