Discussion program with the Provincial Parliament members on the existing issues about girl’s rights

The Province Parliament members were invited where the discussion program on the existing problem related to girls, their rights, act and policy, as well as the upcoming provincial level program on girl child rights at Gandaki Province, Pokhara was conducted on August 25, 2019. The program was organized by the Gandaki Province ministry of Social Development in joint collaboration with Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal, National Coalition for Girls Rights (NCGR) and Kanallan- Switzerland. There was more than 50 participants from 10 different districts including CSOs and the parliament members. JCYCN has been conducting such programs to ensure the rights of girls and have also been conducting the advocacy level training to the members of different provincial level.

President of JCYCN, Mr. Tilottam Paudel chaired the program whereas General Secretary of JCYCN, Mr. Deepak Sharma facilitated the program. Honorable Nar Devi Pun, Social Development Minister of Gandaki Province was the Chief Guest of the program. The issues related to the girls was raised in the program and the parliament members vowed to raise their voice to protect girls from violence and protect the rights of children as they believed that investing in children is more important and so is on creating Girls friendly environment.
The participants from different districts of Gandaki Province raised the issues like Child Marriage, Sexual harassment, Rape, lack of girls friendly facilities, Lack of Sexual and Reproductive Health Education, Online Safety, harmful traditional practices which exist in the society and violates the rights of girls was discussed in the program between the participants and the members of parliament.
Speaking at the program, the members of Women Parliament said that even today girls can be safe only if minimized the tendency to insult by Men. Similarly, Nar Devi Pun Magar, Minister for Social Development of Gandaki Province said that by conducting awareness campaign to the citizens of the state, laws to protect the right of girls will run effectively. She also announced that state government would support local level of conducting child friendly campaigns. Minister Pun said that” Gandaki province is moving towards Gandaki state to be made a zero child marriage state.”
Similarly, Chairperson of the Finance and Development Committee of Gandaki province assembly, Deepak Koirala said that due to the Nepalese social structure, girls suffer from the various problems since birth. Koirala said that physical development would not make any change unless there comes a day when parents become more sensitive to the birth of their daughter than birth of their son. Gandaki province Assembly members Min Prasad Gurung, Dhannanjaya Dawadi, Bishnu Lamichhane, Mina Gurung, Mankumari Gurung, Dhanamaya Pokhrel Lama and Piyari Thapa also expressed their views.
Human Right Commission Gandaki Province officer Khimlal Subedi said that Child Right is also an integral part of human rights so the provincial level should play a crucial role to follow it. Chair of INSEC Gandaki state, Mr. Shiva Khakurel said the cases of abduction of teenager’s rights have increased in recent days, adding that the forms of exploitation is increasing, for which necessary efforts should be made.
During the program, Sushila Acharya, officers of Ministry of Social Development, presented a worksheet and planned activities of the Gandaki State government in the field of Children.