Police assaulted and beat up women rights activists and women leaders from a sit-in protest in front of the Singha Durbar on Sunday demanding adequate representation of women in all process carried out by the coalition government.

Urmila Aryal, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare expressing her views on the role of the women in Nepal at the press conference organized by Excluded Women Alliance for Inclusive Democracy (EWAID), Sunday, June 18 06. nepalnews.com

Women leaders and activists staging a sit-in program defying the restricted area…
The rally organized by women wings of seven political parties and several women rights organizations turned into a sit-in protest in front of the Singha Durbar demanding adequate representation of women in all processes being carried out to resolve the problems facing the country.

According to report, central committee leader of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Uma Adhikari was beaten up, while Sashi Shrestha of People’s Front Nepal was roughed up by the police.

Several other women including, Meena Pandey, central member of NC, Sarita Giri, central leader of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi), Meera Dhungana, advocate at Forum for Women, Law and Development, Sarmila Karki, president of Jagaran Nepal among others were arrested from the sit-in protest programme.

Giri said that women would continue their protest until the seven party alliance ensured women’s proportional representation in all the committees including the government’s peace negotiation committee and Interim Constitution Drafting Committee.

The arrested women were released after three hours. Women leaders said that they will organize protest programme in Bhadrakali today as well.

Following the formation of a six-member interim constitution drafting committee without participation of women on June 15, women’s organisations have criticised the government for being biased towards women.

There are only two women representatives in the 31-member Ceasefire and Code of Conduct National Monitoring Committee and only one state minister in the 20-member cabinet. There is no representation of women from both sides of the talks team.

Meanwhile, agreeing that women have been excluded from the state mechanism, State Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Urmila Aryal, promised to make laws to legitimise the proclamation on women.

“We are working on a bill for women rights,” she said. She assured the draft would be finalised after discussing among the stakeholders.