Kathmandu, Feb 4: Representing the civil society in Nepal, the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) presented a shadow report during the meeting of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The FWLD submitted the shadow as well as an integrated report in the ongoing 90th session of the CEDAW in Geneva, Switzerland last Monday.
The reports offer a comprehensive review of the status and implementation of 16 women’s rights related Articles in Nepal outlined in the CEDAW convention.
FWLD’s executive director Sabin Shrestha, while presenting the report, highlighted Nepal’s progress towards achieving gender equality and women empowerment.
Shrestha, however, recognized the persistent institutional discrimination against women in key areas. “This further aggravates the issue of inter-sectionality thereby putting marginalized group at receiving ends of multifaceted discrimination,” he expressed his concern.
Furthermore, the report cites the provision in the Nepal’s National Penal Code-2074 BS which prohibits and criminalizes discriminatory treatment by any officer exercising authority.
Shrestha also called for effective measures and provisions to criminalize and punish all forms of discrimination, particularly at personal level and in the private sector.
The civil society pointed out the persistent discriminatory law still in areas such as citizenship, birth registration, employment, migrant works and mobility, sexual and reproductive health, property transfer, marriage and family relations among others.
The report also raised alarm over the declining budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens and National Women Commission. The FWLD urged that the Ministry and Commission should be made more resourceful in terms of human resources and finances.
The report raised the issue of the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Right Act-2075 BS which still fails to fully decriminalize abortion. The report also shed lights on the continuity to the prosecution of women and adolescent girls opting for abortion against the existing rules. “The Act prohibits abortion of pregnancy above 28 weeks, even when the life of expectant mother is at risk. Nepal, however, has already accepted the Universal Periodic Review’s recommendation to completely decriminalize abortion in Nepal thereby protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights of women, stated the report.
The report suggests that Nepal needs to ensure sexual and reproductive health care services as an essential service, particularly during the time of humanitarian crisis and disasters. Deliberation on the shadow and integrated report will be held on coming Wednesday.
Nepal has been signatory party to CEDAW since 1991. #CEDAW #nepal #FWLD
