‘Gender equality remains still a challenge’

 Kathmandu, Nov. 11

Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has said that despite significant achievements in gender equality and women’s empowerment over the past three decades in Nepal, challenges remain. Speaking at the launch of the Beijing+30 Civil Society Report in the capital on Monday, she noted that the global leaders’ conference in Beijing 30 years ago spurred extensive work in Nepal on women’s rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment.

 “I believe the constitutional and other rights that Nepali women enjoy today were seeded during the Beijing Conference 30 years ago. The Fourth World Conference on Women laid out commitments in 12 key areas, including gender equality, women’s empowerment, and the elimination of violence against women,” said FM Dr. Rana speaking at the event organised by the UN Women.

Recalling her active participation in the Beijing Conference, she stated that since then, the campaigns led by Nepali women have driven significant progress in various areas, granting women constitutional rights, including reproductive health. Minister Dr. Rana acknowledged that while considerable strides have been made in the past three decades, much more remains to be done.

She maintained that women and girls in Nepal still face challenges in areas like economic participation, education, health, employment, and access to justice, and said that the country must address these issues, and both the government and civil society need to come together to find solutions.

 Minister Dr. Rana also noted Nepal's progress in indicators such as girls’ school enrolment, women’s participation in the labour market, maternal health, reduction of child marriage, and promotion of women’s property rights. She emphasised that Nepal's policies aim to mainstream gender perspectives and focus on marginalised groups, including indigenous women, Dalits, and those with disabilities.

Highlighting women’s growing political participation due to constitutional and legal guarantees, she pointed out the continued existence of discrimination and how the digital age has amplified the spread of misinformation targeting women.

 “In this digital era, women are particularly vulnerable to misinformation. For instance, I have personally been the subject of numerous false narratives. Women leaders worldwide have shared similar experiences, as discussed recently at events in Canada and the United Nations General Assembly,” said FM Dr. Rana.

The UN Women launched Beijing +30 Civil Society Review Report. UN Women has assisted the two civil society networks, the Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC) and the National Network on Beijing Review in Nepal (NNBN), with the Beijing +30 civil society review process.

According to the UN Women, these national reviews will enable the Government of Nepal to showcase its achievements in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda in the country and also contribute to the regional review process at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in November 2024 and the global forum during the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2025. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 12 November 2024.