Kathmandu, Mar. 8: Deputy leader of the cpn-uml Parliamentary Party K. P. Sharma Oli, speaking at the House of Representatives meeting today, said on the one hand Nepalese women are still depirved of equal rights in their homes and society and are treated as second class citizens even when we are already into the 21st century, while on the other women’s trafficking, rapes and cases of exploitation and oppression in different forms continue unabated in the country.
Stating that several laws running counter to the constitution in terms of equality for women still exists, Mr Oli spoke of the need to pass the bill on women’s right to parental property in the current session, emphasize women’s education, set up a family court, take steps for forming the women’s parliamentary committee, provide holiday to women on International Women’s Day and give priority to them in political and policy-making areas.
Vidya Devi Bhandari of the same party demanded that women’s rights to equality should be put into practice, violence against women stopped and an arrangement made for taking passports in the names of mothers also.
Buddhiman Tamang of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party said it is a matter of sorrow in remote areas that three or four women are forced to stay as wives of one husband, adding the law and order situation is dismal and removal of police posts simply proves how worthless the government is.
Mr Tamang also accused the government of making discriminations in providing relief to the victims of Maoist insurgency and recruiting Nepali Congress workers in such programmes as Ganesh Man Singh Peace Campaign and B. P. With the Poor and violating human rights.
He also decried the government’s decision to remove foodgrain depots from remote areas of the country.
NC’s Binaya Dhoj Chand complained that the B. P. With the Poor programme has failed to uphold the spirit of the late leader, identification of landless squatters is made on ad-hoc basis and law and order situation is not satisfactory, adding the news of the Maoists openly holding their conference in India surprised him.
Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party noted that the provision of passports between Nepal and India is not practical in view of the long-standing relations between the two countries.
MP Nawaraj Subedi demanded that all types of discrimiantions against women including violence, oppression, etc should be ended and equal rights in property granted.
NC’s Mahendra Raya Madhukar remarked that though there has been a remarkable progress in telecommunications, drinking water, road and other development works, there has been a rise in corruption and Maoist activity over the past few years.
Rpp’s Netra Lal Shrestha said Nepali goods have been stranded in Calcutta airport and trucks from Nepal have been vandalized, demanding clear views of the government on this matter.
NC’s Narayan Prakash Saud pointed out the need of advancing programmes aimed at women’s empowerment, presenting the bill on women’s rights to parental property in the current session and solving the Maoist problem bringing into confidence all the political parties.
Ganga Prasad Nepal of the cpn-uml demanded that International Women’s Day be declared a public holiday and short-term as well as long-term programmes worked out to minimize natural disasters which cause loss of life and property worth millions of rupees.
Tarasam Yangya, also of the cpn-uml, complained that though the Landless Squatters Commission has been formed in Jhapa, the landowners who have been living for decades have not received land ownership certificates.
Mp narayanman Bijukchhe said attempts are being made to release one rapist who raped a woman at Chhaling vdc in Bhaktapur district and drew the attention of the Health Ministry to the need of carrying out an investigation into an incident in which an asthma patient was mistaken for a diabetic during treatment at Bhaktapur Hospital recently.
Most of the speakers at the meeting today had expressed best wishes for the welfare and progress of Nepali women on the occasion of International Women’s Day.