WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY NEWS Archive: NEPAL
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2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

2006

Women threaten poll boycott
December 7, 2006 – (Kantipur Report) Women political leaders on Wednesday warned that they would boycott polls and would not even vote if the political parties fail to ensure 33 per cent women's participation in the upcoming election for Constituent Assembly (CA).

Implement Resolution 1325 for protection and promotion of women’s rights: Sundh
November 28, 2006 – (nepalnews.com) Representative of the United Nations (UN) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal, Lena Sundh, has urged all Nepali actors take action to put into practice the measures set out in Resolution 1325, both for the protection and promotion of the human rights of Nepali women and girls.

Women and Peace in Nepal I+II
November 25, 2006 - (WPP) POKHARA: There is peace in Nepal now, but the signs of war are everywhere. In Kathmandu, capital of this country of some 22 million people, high walls topped with razor wire surrounded all important buildings, from Nepal Telecom to the Parliament. Soldiers, either in the green camoflague fatigues of the Nepalese Army, or the grey combat uniform of the homeland security troops, are a common sight. There are sandbagged checkpoints in and out of every city and town.

Women's participation in peace talks stressed
November 2, 2006 – (The Rising Nepal) Although women made a significant contribution to the April movement, their contributions has been ignored and they have been excluded from the peace talks, said Sapana Malla, President of the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD).

Gender Dimensions In Tune With The Changed Context
September 27, 2006 – (The Rising Nepal) Following the Women and Armed Conflict plank at the Beijing Platform for Action (BPA) in 1996, the world has increasingly acknowledged the impacts of conflict on women, and of women on conflict. Many success stories have shown women's meaningful participation in peace negotiations, peacekeeping and peacemaking, resulting in significant progress.

NEPAL: Women want a greater role in peace process
July 20, 2006 - (IRIN) Women were instrumental in taking power back from the king and suffered greatly in the civil war, but have been virtually excluded from peace talks. Nepalese government officials and Maoists rebels have failed to include women in peace talks, according to gender activists and politicians.

New constitution to ensure women's rights
July 15, 2006 - (WUNRN) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs K.P. Sharma Oli has said that the new Constitution to be drafted through the Constituent Assembly should give equal rights to women.

NEPAL: Excluded, Women Seek International Advice
July 8, 2006 - (IPS) On the evening of Jun 23, lawyer and activist Sapana Pradhan Malla confided to IPS that the deputy prime minister had just told a group of women occupying his office that the committee drafting an interim constitution would be expanded to include two women. No announcement came, and exactly a week later Pradhan Malla told IPS, "the announcement will come in a few hours".

UN Calls for Increased Women's Participation in Peace Process
July 3, 2006 - (Kantipur Report) United Nations has called the government, the political parties and the Maoists to increase women’s representation in the ongoing peace process. “Clearly the active participation of women was crucial to the success of the recent people’s movement. For the peace process to also succeed, women’s participation is absolutely necessary,” a statement issued by the UN on Monday quoted Junko Sazaki, the UN acting resident co-ordinator, as saying.

Women Activists Detained For Demanding Say in Constitution
June 18, 2006 - (Khaleej Times) Over two dozen women activists demanding representation in the committee set up to draft an interim statute to replace the present constitution were detained by the police Sunday, witnesses said.The government and the Maoists on Friday decided to set up a five- member committee headed by pro-democracy activist and former Nepalese Supreme Court judge Lman Prasad Aryal.

A different shade of red in Nepal
June 9, 2006 - (WUNRN) With Nepal at a crossroads for peace, women have a vital role to play in rebuilding the country – but will they be shut out? Rosemary Bechler meets Lily Thapa, a woman determined to make a difference. Events are moving so fast in Nepal that Lily Thapa decided to leave London early. With a Code of Conduct being drawn up between the new government coalition and the Maoist insurgents, as she says, "If they need me and my experience, I will be there!" So far the Maoist negotiators have one woman on their team: the government, none. She is not convinced this will change. But she is campaigning for a seat at the peace table nevertheless, on behalf of the widows and wives of the missing, who make up many of the surviving victims of a conflict which has claimed over thirteen thousand lives in the last decade.

Women, Conflict and UN Resolution 1325
June 6, 2006 - (Nepalnews.com) As research on armed conflict shows, women and girls suffer differently than men, and this gendered nature of war is not hidden from sight in Nepal

Women's rights groups in Nepal have welcomed a move to end laws which discriminate against women
May 31, 2006 - (BBC NEWS) The Nepalese parliament unanimously voted in favour of the resolution, introduced by communist lawmaker Bidhya Bhandari, on Tuesday. She said the proposed law, which would give full citizenship to children born to Nepalese mothers, was an attempt to stop violence and discrimination. The cabinet would now have to replace laws it feels is discriminatory.

Women's Commission Aims to Combat Violence Against Women in Refugee Camps
14 March 2006 -(VOA News) The non-profit Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children has introduced a series of recommendations to significantly reduce incidents of violence against women and girls in areas of conflict.

NEPAL: Impact of the conflict on women
March 8, 2006 -(IRIN) The United Nations in Nepal said it is concerned at how women are suffering from the Maoist insurgency that has flared up again following a four-month ceasefire. “In the past few weeks, women have been beaten to death, shot at, blown up by landmines and abducted across the country,” said Mathew Kahane, UN Resident Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal, on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Nepali women march for peace
February 4, 2006 - Shantimalika (Women's network for peace) organised a peace rally of women in Kathmandu (Nepal). This is their report. More than 2 500 women and men were involved with their traditional dresses, many carrying music instruments. There have been a number of marches and rallies in Nepal recently, but most have been violent against the government of King Gyanendra, who seized executive power on 1 February 2005.

2005

NEPAL: Aid agencies resume key project
September 21, 2005 - (IRIN) Aid agencies are to resume one of Nepal’s most successful poverty-alleviation projects, which was suspended in May in protest against assaults on female staff by Maoist rebels.

Nobel Prize nominees honored
Sept 5, 2005 – (Kathmandu Post) Nine Nepali women, representing Nepal's selection in the list of 1,000 women nominees worldwide, for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005, were felicitated amidst a function organized by TEWA, a Nepali philanthropic organization, and UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Lalitpur on Sunday.

NEPAL: PEACEKEEPERS SENTENCED TO PRISON
July 23, 2005 - (NYT World Briefing) The Royal Nepal Army said a military court had sentenced six soldiers to three months in prison for sex abuses committed a few months ago while deployed as United Nations peacekeepers in Congo, the New China News Agency reported. Three of the soldiers were also demoted, said Brig. Gen. Deepak Gurung, an army spokesman.

WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY:
June 2005 - (Peace Media) "Women at the village level are involved in peace activities, but their work is not acknowledged at the national level and they have not developed linkages and networks to national level organizations. Since last year a small number of women's organizations have been raising the issue of conflict at the national level, but these have no presence at the village level. Nepali women are challenged in their peacebuilding activities by being unable to protect grass-roots women and by the fact that civil society is divided."
Anonymous

WOMEN'S HEALTH AND WAR IN NEPAL  
May 21, 2005 - (Z Net) To officials who rarely set foot outside Kathmandu Valley, it is difficult to understand how the conflict is affecting the health of women.

SOUTH ASIA CONFRONTS TREND OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
May 5, 2005 - (Reuters) Changing laws is the easy part, changing attitudes is something else.Shameful stories in recent days of horrific rapes in Pakistan and India, murders in Afghanistan and an impoverished Bangladeshi mother offering to sell an eye have all underscored how far South Asia has to go to give downtrodden womenfolk justice.

AS NEPAL'S MATERNAL DEATHS RISE, UN CALLS ON ALL SIDES IN CONFLICT TO RESPECT RIGHTS
April 6, 2005 (UN News) Amid credible reports that a large number of Nepalese women have died in childbirth because they could not reach medical help due to the fighting between Government and rebel Maoist forces, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today called on all parties to facilitate humanitarian aid and respect human rights.

UNFPA URGES ADVERSARIES TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS IN NEPAL: NEPAL CONFLICT BLOCKS LIFE-SAVING HEALTH SERVICES TO WOMEN
April 5.2005- (UNFPA NEWS) UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, called today on all parties to the conflict in Nepal to facilitate development and humanitarian assistance, and respect human rights. “It is vital that supplies reach women and children as soon as possible and that access to health services is not blocked,” said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. “The health and safety of people must be assured. This is especially important for pregnant women so they can deliver their babies in conditions that are safe and healthy.”

2004

Baglung Women Intensify Anti-Maoist Campaign
December 6, 2004 -(The Kathmandu Post) Many women of villages of Kushmishera VDC in Baglung district, leaving their household chores, joined the ‘exposure programs and people’s movement’ organized by People’s Front Nepal (PFN) by chanting anti-Maoist slogans (like the one above) on Sunday.

Tanahun Women Rally for Peace
December 3, 2004 -(The Kathmandu Post) "No more bloodshed and violence". "Stop killing". "We are suffocating and are fed up with war." These were the messages in banners and placards that over 10,000 women waved at a peace rally in this small suburb in the western hills.

Women Now Swelling the Ranks of Maoists
November 3, 2004 -(IPS) Striking images of young women in fatigues, rifles hoisted on their shoulders and purposefully marching forward, stare back when one clicks on the official website of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

MAOIST MAIDEN VS GOVT GIRLS - NEPAL DEPLOYS YOUNG RECRUITS AGAINST FORMIDABLE FOE
August 23, 2004 - (The Telegraph) Most of them left school a year or two back. They now wear the army uniform and carry sten guns or even MI 16s. Some frisk people with metal detectors and stop and search vehicles, while others wait their turn at duty.

MAOIST REBELS FORM 'SUICIDE SQUAD' TO TARGET POLITICANS
August 22, 2004 - (IANS) An outlawed Maoist group has formed a suicide squad comprising women and children to target top politicians in Jharkhand, including Chief Minister Arjun Munda, police officials here said.

CONFLICT JEOPARDIZES NEPAL'S DEVELOPMENT TARGETS
August 4, 2004 - (Oneworld South Asia) Experts are concerned that Nepal, a nation plagued with insurgency, will not meet the targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the 2015 deadline.

NEPALESE ARMY TAKES IN WOMEN FOR COMBAT
August 4 (UPI) -- The Royal Nepalese Army has completed the training of its first group of female recruits, after authorities decided that 5 percent of soldiers should be women.

MANPOWER AGENCIES AND WOMEN'S POWER: MISERY AT HOME FORCES NEPALI WOMEN DOMESTICS IN THE GULF TO ENDURE ABUSE
July 30 - August 5, 2004 - (Nepali Times) Increasingly desperate Nepali women are fleeing conflict and hardship at home to work as domestics in the Gulf even though they know about the abuse and exploitation they are likely to face.

CONFLICT FUELS HIV/AIDS CRISIS
July 28, 2004 - (Weekly Telegraph) The massive and rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in Nepal is a significant threat to national peace and security. Health workers involved in HIV education have complained that due to the Maoist insurgency they are facing problem to spread the message to the remote villages. HIV/AIDS and conflict also create a double jeopardy for women. Women are the main victims of conflict. When the economy and the social infrastructure are destroyed, and male heads of households are missing, women carry a disproportionate burden as single-parent heads of families.

DEEPER PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA OF CONFLICT INDUCED DISPLACEMENT
July 28, 2004 - (Weekly Telegraph) The Nepali people were jubilant when they succeeded in restoring democracy in 1990 after almost 30 years of consistent and assertive struggle against the Panchayat system. that followed 1996 The change in the system in 1990 was an outcome of the agreement reached between the people’s representatives, the agitating political parties and the king.

WOMEN IN NEPALI DEMOCRACY
July 28, 2004 - (Weekly Telegraph) After the "territorial integration" of Nepal in 1769, we Nepalese experienced exclusionary democracy twice. Once upon a time it was in 1950-60 and twice upon a time it was during 1990-2002. After October 4th of 2002, we are back to square one, or "back to Mangalman."

SISTERS ON A LONG MARCH: SARITA AND LAXMI CARRY DOKOS INSTEAD OF SCHOOL BAGS
July 16-22, 2004 - (Nepali Times) The warm, wet monsoon mists move up the valley. High above the din of the frothing Dudh Kosi the sun is rising from behind Sagarmatha. Through a gap in the clouds, sunlight illuminates the mountains in a golden glow. The pine forests glitter with last night’s rain. The few trekkers still in Khumbu this season soak in the beauty from the balcony of their lodge. On the trail below, Sarita and Laxmi Rai have no time to admire the view. They adjust straps on their dokos on their backs before heaving 45 kg loads on their backs for the long steep climb up to Namche Bazar.

SA TROOPS 'RAPED KIDS IN DRC'
July 12, 2004 - (Pretoria News) South African and other peacekeeping troops have allegedly committed a string of rapes and other sexual offences against children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United Nations has sent a special team to the DRC to investigate.

WOMEN FOR PROPORTIONATE CABINET REPRESENTATION
June 9, 2004 – (Kathmandu Post) Women activists from different quarters of society today demanded proportional female representation in the cabinet in Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s government in the days to come.

TERROR STRICKEN VILLAGERS FLEE HOME EVERY NIGHT
June 8, 2004 – (Kathmandu Post) Following the brutal assault on the elderly and children, and the rape of more than 12 women by a group of armed bandits posing as security personnel on Wednesday night, the villagers of Srinagar of Hattisarwa head for neighboring Bishwamvarpur VDC every evening to spend the night.

EMPTY PROMISES STALLING GENDER EQUITY IN NEPAL
June 7, 2004 – (Kathmandu Post) The government’s repeated promises of creating a discrimination-free society for women was virtually torn to pieces during a recently held review meeting at the United Nations Headquarters.It is thirteen years since Nepal became party to the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women), however, to quote a study there still exist 137 discriminatory legal provisions in 85 legislations, including those in the Constitution.

CASTE SYSTEM BINDS NEPALESE PROSTITUTES
April 11, 2004 – (NYT) With its simple mud homes, low roofs and string cots, this tiny settlement near the Indian border looks like any other in this part of western Nepal. Only the women suggest something different, garishly painted as they are even in the early morning hours.

WOMEN DECLARE INDEPENDENCE
March 10, 2004 – (Nepali Times) On the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 March, an underground Nepali women’s group has issued a 40-point declaration. Charitraheen Cheli (The Women of Ill Repute) is an underground group of women aiming to ‘rip apart the veils,’ who meet regularly in Kathmandu and engage in all kinds of guff, from high-minded politics to raucous pandherni’ watertap gossip.

CONFLICT AND NEPALI WOMEN
March 2004 - Januka Shrestha's husband, who was in the army, was killed in action in Acham. With no other source of income, she is solely dependent on the pension she receives from the army for the survival of herself and her four children. "My youngest daughter has not been able to understand that her father is dead. She is still holding on to the promise that he had made: to come back and buy us a radio," said teary-eyed Shrestha. Many women of various ages in Nepal express sympathy for these women. In Kathmandu, a woman says she believes that in times of crisis it is her duty to support these women "We have to be friendly and loving to them". Since 1991, hundreds of local NGOs have been established in Nepal.

Girl Power
February 23, 2004- (Nepali Times) Now that the royal army has decided to recruit female soldiers, the idea has become a matter for discussion. The move came after the ‘People’s War’ became a national issue and a threat to the old regime.

MORE NEPALESE WOMEN VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING BUT FEWER SEEKING JUSTICE
January 12, 2004 – (Feminist Daily News Wire) The number of Nepalese women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation is on the rise, while the number of women seeking justice has gone down over the past couple of years. According to the annual report of the Office of the Attorney General of the Kingdom of Nepal, only 54 cases against traffickers were filed in 2002-03, reports One World. However, the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare states 5000 to 7000 Nepalese women are sent to brothels in India every year.

2003

NEPAL: GANG-RAPE OF TWO ADOLESCENT GIRLS BY ARMED-POLICEMEN
October 28, 2003 – (OMCT Appeal) According to the information received, on 27 September 2003, 16-years-old girl Janaki Chaudhari and 14-years-old girl Chinki Chaudhari of Belawa 5, Mahadev Village, Bardiya District were brutally gang-raped and threatened by seven armed policemen of the police precinct of Kohalpur in Far Western region, Nepal. The names of the policemen are: Sub Inspector Judda Bahadur Shahi, Police Constable Upendra Khadka, Policemen Bhim Bahadur Chand, Ram Bahadur Sunar, Bhakta Bahadur Nepali, Mangit Oli and Hariji attached to the District Police Precinct Banke…

NEPAL/BHUTAN: REFUGEE WOMEN FACE ABUSES: UNHCR, GOVERNMENTS MUST TAKE ACTION AT EXCOM
September 24, 2003 – (HRW) Bhutanese refugee women in Nepal encounter gender-based violence and systematic discrimination in access to aid, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. For the full report, click here.

ABORTION LEGAL BUT WOMEN STILL IMPRISONED
April 17, 2003 – (Feminist.org) Despite the legalization of abortion in Nepal last September fifty women remain imprisoned on abortion and related offenses. Sapana Pradhan Malla, Chief of Forum for Women, Law and Development told Spotlight, "As the new legislation does not have the provision for retrospective affect, it will apply only to the new cases." The women—most of who are illiterate, poor, and have suffered miscarriage or stillborn births—continue to serve harsh sentences under charges of "infanticide."

ENCOURAGING WOMEN'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE NEPALI PEACE TALKS
March 23, 2003 – (The Institute for Human Rights Communication Nepal – Press Release) On March 23rd, a 'Roundtable Conference' was organised in Kathmandu to encourage the involvement of women in the peace talks. It aimed to help raise the problems of Nepal's women - who make up 51% of the population - at the decision making level, and to ensure that women's priorities and needs are not neglected during the peace talks.

REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN VICTIMS IN NEPALI PEACE TALKS SOUGHT
March 11, 2003 – (Post Report ) Women victims of the armed conflict should find representation in peace negotiations as per the spirit of UN Security Resolution 1325 concerning the protection of rights and security of women and children.

LISTEN TO WOMEN PEACEMAKERS
February 15, 2003 – (Kathmandu Post) War is news. Peace isn’t. Aggres-sive, macho, belligerent postur-ing catches media attention. Movements for tolerance, humane and harmonious, don’t. Which is why four recent peace proposals failed to catch the spotlight they deserved.

REBEL WOMEN WERE SEXUALLY ABUSED: NWC
February 7, 2003 – (Kathmandu Post) Women Maoist cadres were sexually harassed and exploited by their male comrades, according to a study conducted by the National Women’s Commission (NWC).

UNHCR FOLLOWS UP ON SEX ABUSE CASES IN NEPAL
January 24, 2003 – (UN Wire) A team from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees set out for Nepal's Jhapa refugee camps yesterday to investigate conditions there after findings last year that aid workers sexually abused camp residents.

PROJECT FOR SINGLE WOMEN IN THE OFFING
January 19, 2003 – (Kathmandu Post) Women for Human Rights, a NGO working for the destitute single women, is to hold a workshop on "empowerment of Single women" in 10 districts of eastern development region on Jan 27, 28 and 29.

Why Can’t “Manpower” Agencies Find Jobs for Women?
January 10-16, 2003- (Nepali Times) Ever since the tragic death five years ago of Kani Sherpa, who committed suicide after being sexually abused by her employer in Qatar, Nepali women have been banned from going to the Gulf countries for employment. But an unlikely alliance of women’s rights activists and “manpower” agencies have been trying to get that ban lifted.

PM FOR PROPER ATTENTION TO WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
January 9, 2003 – (The Rising Nepal) Chairperson of National Women's Commission Dr. Durga Pokharel handed over "the National Women's Commission Draft Bill-2059" to Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand amidst a function held here today.

2002

ABUSE OF GIRL CHILD
December 30, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal - Feature) NEPAL is a land of villages, where many people are poor and illiterate. They are deprived of education and modern scientific amenities. Very few people are privileged to live in urban areas. Leaving aside the original inhabitants of the city, most of the dwellers in urban areas are migrated people from villages. They are seeking good education, good jobs and better future. They are struggling for their prosperity.

GENDER FRIENDLY BUDGET SOUGHT
December 17, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) A South Asia regional workshop on gender budget began here today to discuss economic security among women, a crucial component of gender equality.

MEET ON GENDER DATA BEGINS
December 14, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Anuradha Koirala inaugurated a workshop on gender data in the 2001 census organised by the central bureau of statistics.

COORDINATION TO CHECK GIRL TRAFFICKING
December 9, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Media persons based at the Indo-Nepal bordering region have emphasised the need to work together with mutual co-ordination in order to check trafficking of girls from various transit points on the Indo-Nepal border.

HELPLESS WIDOW WAITS FOR COMPENSATION
December 9, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Amrita Roka, 32, of Jelwang village Rolpa has moist eyes since the death of her husband who was out to help the security personnel a month ago. Leading an agonising life, she is seen loitering in the district headquarters, Liwang expecting compensation for her husband’s death.

NEED TO CURB GIRL TRAFFICKING STRESSED
December 9, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare is working on its project to open monitoring centres to curb girl trafficking in 26 districts in Nepal under the District Development Committee offices. But again, such an initiative has many drawbacks, it is stated by Superintendent of Police, Durga Upreti.

WOMEN ACTIVISTS PREPARE BILL TO END DISCRIMINATION
December 7, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) As Nepalese women continue to be victims of domestic violence, women rights activists today expressed concern over the fate of the draft bill that became invalid after the dissolution of the Parliament. The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Penalisation) Bill was presented in the 21st session of the Parliament.

A LIFE FULL OF AGONY
December 7, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal – Feature) JUNELI Khadka (name changed), who was raped by her landlord's son before she reached her puberty, was forced to choose the profession of commercial sex worker at a tender age. In order to sustain her life, Juneli who is hardly 14/15 years old has traveled from Birgunj to Krishnanagar to Pokhara to Kathmandu.

YET ANOTHER ABUSE CHARGE LEVELLED
December 6, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) A Bhutanese refugee woman from Beldangi-1 refugee camp in Jhapa levelled charges against now-retired deputy director of Refugee Co-ordination Unit (RCU) for allegedly molesting her some two years ago in his office.

FOCUS ON WOMEN'S ROLE IN PEACE TALKS
December 6, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) A woman mediator can play a constructive role in the round table conference lately proposed by the Maoists to find a way out of deepening political crisis.

DURGA RAISES SWORD AGAINST WOMEN’S DISCRIMINATION
December 5, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Durga Pokharel, the chairperson of the National Women’s Commission, still wonders why many of the women from the Tharu community are taking up the arms to help materialise the so-called people’s war.

UNFPA CHIEF URGES INCREASED INVESTMENT ON WOMEN
December 4, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The 25th series of the State of the World Population Report 2002 suggests that social investments help reach the goal of slower population growth rate. Whilst in least-developed countries like Nepal, the UN report has urged that investing in women help countries get richer.

SHOWPIECE WOMEN AND REPRESENTATION
December 3, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post – Feature) The problem that we are about to address here is the problem of gaps and representations where women are concerned, and the relation between the two.

ALLEGED SEXUAL OFFENDERS ‘PUNISHED’
November 30, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) All the 16 people found guilty for sexual abuses against Bhutanese women and girls in the refugee camps by a UNHCR probe team have been "punished" and are no longer working with the aid agencies.

USE OF WOMEN IN MAOIST FORCE RAISES CONCERN
November 29, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) UNFPA in Nepal is concerned over the use of women in the Maoist force.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: AN URGENT NEED
November 28, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) VIOLENCE is an obstacle for the achievement of equality, development and peace. Violence is acknowledged as a violation of human rights. In every society, violence against women occurs to a greater or a lesser extent. According to the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (DEVAW) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 20, 1993, Violence against Women (VAW) means any acts of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm, or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occuring in public or private life. Violence against women is used as a weapon in the hands of men through which they establish their supremacy and exploit women. Therefore, violence against women is recognised as a form of gender inequality.

GENDER ISSUE, OF VOICE AND OPPORTUNITY
November 27, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post – Feature) Gone are the days when most women used to take things lying down. Slowly and steadily, they are asserting their rights and fighting against injustice against them. The years since the mid-1970s when the United Nations declared 1975 as the International Year of Women gave a shot in the arm of the campaign for promoting the cause of women. The past two and a half decades indeed bear a witness to gradual changes for the better. It only shows that a course of campaign and action should be continued with relentless efforts. The road ahead is long and daunting. What should be kept in mind is that patience and dedication eventually pay satisfactory dividends.

PM RECEIVES MEMO ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
November 26, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Violence against women in the country has further worsened in the wake of Maoist insurgency, said Dr Renu Rajbhandari of the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC).

UNHCR LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO REPORTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN NEPAL
November 20, 2002 – (UN Wire) The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said yesterday it had dispatched a fact-finding team to Nepal to investigate 18 reports of sexual assault of Bhutanese refugees by aid workers from local nongovernmental agencies.

'LEGAL' DISCRIMINATION
October 31, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal- Editorial) DISCRIMINATION against women in the Nepalese society runs deep. Battling these discriminations presuppose that there are laws in place that ensure protection of women against discriminations. It is easy to imagine the long battle against gender discriminations when various legal provisions spread in different acts and rules and regulations themselves are discriminatory against women. The passage recently of what was popularly known as "women's property rights" bill and which was in fact an amendment to the Civil Code, gave only a partial cause for celebration for women as there are still 28 provisions in the Code that can be termed as discriminatory against women. This came out in a report drawn by a high-level committee to review the existing laws concerning discrimination against women. The committee was constituted last year to review the existing laws and acts discriminatory against women, draft an amendment bill encouraging equality, and present recommendations essential for women's empowerment.

REGIONAL MEET ON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
October 30, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Gore Bahadur Khapangi today inaugurated the Fifth Regional Meeting organised to discuss the documents approved during the review of Beijing conference held five years ago.

GENDER DISCRIMINATORY LAWS AMENDMENT SOUGHT
October 29, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The committee formed to suggest the revision of the discriminatory laws against women in the Constitution has presented a draft amendment paper to Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand today. This was announced at a press conference held at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, organised by the UNDP Mainstreaming Gender Equity Programme, today.

GOVERNMENT TO UPDATE LAWS ON WOMEN
October 29, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) The high level committee constituted by His Majesty's Government to review the existing laws concerning discrimination against women presented its report to Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand at a function here today.

FOCUS ON GENDER EQUITY, WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
September 27, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Informal Sector Education Centre (INSEC) held an interaction programme yesterday on women’s rights components of the Local Self-government Act which has been virtually suspended since local governments were dissolved nine weeks ago.

NEPALI WOMEN FINALLY HAVE RIGHTS TO PARENTAL PROPERTY
September 27, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) For the first time in Nepal’s history, all unmarried women now have rights to their parental property and all married women, to their husband’s.

ACTIVISTS TARGET ANTI-WIDOW LAWS
September 23, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Widowed at a young age, Meera (name changed) of Kaski district, married her deceased husband’s brother a few years ago. The couple now have two children. For all intents and purposes, this should be a positive example for society but it isn’t.

WOMEN'S COMMISSION DRAFT BILL DISCUSSED (RSS)
July 28, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) Parmananda Jha, chief judge of the Appellate Court, Hetauda inaugurated the talk programme organised to reconsider the National Women's Commission (NWC) Draft Bill-2059 at a function here Thursday.

SICK OF WAR
July 19-25, 2002 – (The Nepali Tiimes #103) The woman had visited the health post with her sick baby. The health worker gave her some tablets and told her to give them to the child after meals. Two days later, the health worker asked her how the baby was doing. “I haven’t been able to give her the medicine because you had told me to give it after food,” the woman replied. “I have no food at home, and we haven’t eaten for days.”

TWO WOMEN FIGHT AGAINST ALL ODDS
July 15, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) Two old women fought against all odds and proved that age and difficulty are no bars to success.

ACTIVISTS DEMAND COMPENSATION FOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
July 15, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) Human rights activists said today that the trafficking in women and girls must be considered as human rights violation and that adequate compensation of the victims must be ensured. They demanded that the existing laws be implemented effectively so that they can lead a life with self-esteem.

REBEL WOMAN NARRATES THE STORY OF SEXUAL ABUSE
July 10, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Women activists associated with the CPN-Maoist are walking out of the outfit and speaking out the menace of sexual exploitation rampant in the party.

WOMEN’S PLIGHT
July 7, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Women’s right is one of the central themes in the 21st century, yet we see very little happening in this area. Few Nepalese women and organizations established by them continue to rally for a better position for women in society, but their pleas continue to fall on deaf ears. Nepal has 90 percent of the people living in the rural areas, most of them females. Women since birth have a pre-set mode of living which is further influenced by the ethnic or the caste that she belongs to. There have been people with the primitive thinking that having given birth to a girl is like adding a burden on the shoulder, and as her ultimate place of living being her husband’s house, there is much less that she can offer. Hence, being a daughter, she would be expected to live in a constrained environment which offers little chance of exposure, share her part of the responsibility by taking care of her siblings, do the household work till she ultimately gets married to a person of her parent’s choice, have kids, raise them and the cycle goes on.

FEATURE: EMPOWERING WOMEN
July 2, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Women in Nepal constitute half of the country’s total population but the condition of the majority of them is not satisfactory. Despite equal rights and opportunities guaranteed by the Constitution, women, in real life, have not been able to enjoy the same. The condition in the rural areas is even worse. Women are discriminated against and lag far behind in many areas, barring a few exceptions, mainly because of our long-held social and cultural structure and attitude. The status of women in Nepal must be enhanced. However, there have been changes in the attitude of the society regarding women in recent times. It has been realised that without development of women, the long-term and sustainable development of the country is not possible.

WOMEN REPRESENTATIVES FORM NATIONAL AD-HOC COMMITTEE
June 15, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Local women representatives assembled at a four-day national conference at the capital on Friday formed a 21-member Ad-hoc Committee of the local women representatives to pressure the government for their rights.

CONFERENCE ON GIRLS TRAFFICKING CONCLUDES
June 15, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The Third National Conference on women’s trafficking concluded today which was organised by Agro Forestry Basic Health Co-operatives, (ABC) Nepal, National Network Against Girl Trafficking (NNAGT) and Ministry for Women, Children and Social Welfare.

POIGNANT REMINDER OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS
June 11, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) While the extension of the State of Emergency is for many a disappointment, this period can also be profitably re-conceptualized as furthering our understanding of the different experiences that men and women in society undergo because of the gendered identities, which have been constructed for them.

VICTIMS OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE, COME OUT IN THE OPEN
June 4, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) On a hot October afternoon last year, four young men entered the house of Manisha Darji in a remote village in western Parbat district. She was alone. They pretended to ask her about the adult literacy class that the 18-year-old ran in her village. But, after a while, they showed their true face and started raping her one by one.

WOMEN RELIEF HOUSE TO BE OPENED SOON
May 22, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Nuwakot District Development Committee (DDC) and JIT, a non-governmental organization, are jointly establishing a Women Relief House (WRH) to provide shelter to helpless women rescued from brothels and victims of family violence. The house will be established Bidur Municipality, the district headquarters, according to the concerned body.

MAOISTS ABDUCT YOUNG GIRL
May 22, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) A group of armed Maoist rebels abducted a young girl in Gogane VDC-8, west from headquarterof Bhojpur district, on Sunday afternoon, said the sources.

According to the family of the abducted girl, a group of 15 to 20 armed rebels forcefully carried away 17-year old Binita Luitel after covering the family members with the arms in her own house.

Binita had appeared in the SLC examiations this year from local Singha Devi Secondary School. She was associated with All-Nepal National Free Students' Union (Revolutionary), sister organization of the Maoist Party. However, she had forsaken the organization after the SLC examination and had surrendered to the District Administration, it is learnt. The family members believe that Binita has been kidnapped because she withdrew from the party's sister organization.

MEET BEGINS ON CEDAW ACTION PLAN (RSS)
May 21, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) A consultative meeting on formulation of national action plan concerning the Convention on the Elimination of all forms Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) began here today.

GOVERNMENT FIRM TO WIPE OUT DISCRIMINATIONS AGAINST WOMEN
May 20, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Sushila Swar, said the government is bringing a national action plan into action at the earliest to implement the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discriminations Against Women (CEDAW).

14-YEAR-OLD FORCED TO LEAD A HELLISH LIFE
May 18, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Amidst non-stop questioning from a group of journalists, 14-year-old Durga Tamang (name changed) was sitting on a sofa with her pencil in the right hand,dancing over a piece of paper, drawing some scenic outlines. But, at the same time Durga – sometimes smiling and sometimes with the feeling of humiliation – was trying to give answer to the journalists.

GIRLS’ ENROLLMENT IN SCHOOLS INCREASING
May 16, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The UNESCO, Banke District Chapter has launched a novel way to persuade girls of school-going age who have not been able to go to schools due to the prevalent illiteracy, superstition and lack of awareness, to go to school after providing them non-formal education.

BHUTANESE GIRL HIGHLIGHTS REFUGEE CHILDREN'S PLIGHT (POST REPORT)
May 11, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) A Bhutanese girl at a United Nations children's summit called on the world body to speed up the repatriation of thousands of refugees living in Nepalese camps, according to CNN website.

LOCAL WOMEN PATROL FORESTLANDS (POST REPORT)
May 9, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The community forest, which falls in the Himali Bas forest area of Rautahat district, is now being patrolled by the local women of the area in order to curb the felling of trees and smuggling of wood.

NEPAL COURT JUDGEMENT ON MARITAL RAPE HAILED BY RIGHTS GROUPS
May 6 2002 - A Nepal court judgment last week which ruled that marital sex without a wife's consent should be considered rape is being hailed by human and women's rights activists as a "big victory" for the women of the Himalayan kingdom.

WIFE'S 'RAPE' MAY BE DIFFICULT TO BE PROVED, SAY EXPERTS
May 4, 2002 – (RSS) Although sexual intercourse by the husband with his wife without her consent has been termed "rape", legal and other experts concerned are of the view that it would be difficult to prove so at the court.

SEX WITHOUT WIFE'S CONSENT IS RAPE: SC
May 3, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court today interpreted sexual intercourse between a husband and wife without consent of the wife as a crime equal to rape. The crime is equal to raping other women and is punishable by law.

WOMEN'S COMMISSION STRIVES TO GET CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS
May 3, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) The National Women's Commission is moving ahead with a goal of attaining the status of a constitutional body.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT VITAL FOR DEVELOPMENT (POST REPORT)
May 2, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) A three-day workshop on Development Challenges in South Asia was jointly inaugurated by Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Rajendra Kharel and Deputy Speaker at the House of Representatives today.

VILLAGERS HAVE TOUGH TIME PROTECTING THEIR YOUNG GIRLS FROM MAOISTS
April 24, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) As always, with rebellions and insurgencies throughout the world, deprived and poor children are always victims, caught up in the throes of these vicious, bloody and frustrating wars.

'EDUCATION TO ENSURE WOMEN'S RIGHTS' (POST REPORT)
April 22, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Government officials, women right activists and politicians have emphasised the need for education and economic empowerment to ensure the women right.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOP CONCLUDES (RSS)
April 20, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) A workshop on "Women in Politics: Problems and Necessities" was held here Friday under the aegis of South Asia Partnership (SAP) of Nepal.

NOW, BOYS ALSO TRAFFICKED TO INDIA, FINDS A NEW STUDY
April 16, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The Nepali ear is attuned to hearing cases of trafficking in women and girls. Now, it can also hear about trafficking in boys. Yes, boys. And mostly from the southern Terai belt of the country.

US GRANT FOR ANTI-TRAFFICKING INITIATIVES (POST REPORT)
April 16, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The government of United States has provided a grant of US$ 200,000 to support the on-going anti-trafficking initiatives in Nepal, states a press release issued here today by the American Embassy in the capital today.

CALL TO CURB VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
January 25, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The three-day workshop on mobilisation of youth against violence against women organised by "Saathi", an NGO working against all types of violence against women and children concluded here the other day.

Women and youths working on the issue in 40 different districts in the country took part in the workshop that concluded with recommendation for various kinds of programmes to stop all kinds of violence against women and children.

The Chauopadi tradition in the far west, child marriage, witchcraft and witch doctors in the Terai and drug abuse in the urban areas were pointed out as some of the reasons that have promoted violence against women and children.

CEDAW PROTOCOL CAN DELIVER JUSTICE TO NEPALI WOMEN
January 20, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Nepali women will soon be able to submit complaints on gender discrimination directly to the United Nations if they do not get justice in their own country.

WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS SOUGHT (POST REPORT)
January 8, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Women's rights activists today urged the governments of the South Asian region to increase the women's participation more in politics and decision-making bodies.

MAITI NEPAL HAILS SAARC CONVENTIONS (POST REPORT)
January 7, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) Maiti Nepal, a non-governmental organisation fighting against the trafficking of girls and women in Nepal, today hailed the endorsement of the two SAARC Conventions on child welfare and on combating trafficking in women and children as a positive note.

'REGIONAL INSTRUMENT' TO CURB TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN SOUGHT (POST REPORT)
January 5, 2002 – (Kathmandu Post) The Second South Asian Peoples' (SAP) Summit has urged the South Asian countries to form a "regional instrument" to combat trafficking in women in the region, said a press release issued here today.

2001

WOMEN POLICE HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN CURBING FLESH TRADE
December 9, 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) A one-day orientation programme was held today to introduce different aspects of the crimes related with women trafficking and child abuse to women police personnels today. Advocate Sapana Malla Pradhan highlighted on the importance of the role of women police where women are always the victims of social injustice. "There are a lots of loopholes in our law that helps the culprits escape even after commiting crimes related with violence against women and the children in Nepal," she added.

GREEN SIGNAL FOR WOMEN’S COMMISSION
December 4 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) The much anticipated women’s commission inched closer to becoming reality as the legal committee of the Cabinet took up the Bill brought to form the body.

WOMEN SET TO HAVE PARENTAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
October 5, 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) The parliamentary Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Committee today approved the Bill proposing to make 11th amendment to the Muluki Ain (Civil Code) establishing women’s rights on parental property.

WOMEN AGAINST ALCOHOL AND VIOLENCE
September 13, 2001 (Kathmandu Post) Violence against women occurs throughout Nepal in varying degrees and in various forms. Child marriage, polygamy, wife beating, rape, overwork, witch hunting, child trafficking, incest, sexual harassment and alcohol related abuse are all forms of violence. In essence, violence can be defined as any kind of oppression, coercion or cruelty against another being. The purpose of this article is to urge the government and the Revolutionary Women’s Group to rethink their current rash demands for alcohol control.

WOMEN'S ACCESS TO JUSTICE EMPHASISED
September 2 2001 – (The Rising Nepal) Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya has spoken of the need for special laws, mechanism and procedures to increase women’s access to justice which has been hampered by the country's social, economic and educational conditions.

BILL AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO BE PRESENTED
July 29, 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) The campaign against the ever rising problem of girl trafficking is likely to receive a shot in the arm as the activists begin gearing up to present the effective bill in 20th session of the Parliament.

PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, EMPHASISES CHIEF JUSTICE
July 29, 2001 – (The Rising Nepal) Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya today said that the country’s laws must commensurate with the international and regional conventions that Nepal has ratified.

FIGHTING TRAFFICKING: CHILD-FRIENDLY LAWS EMPHASISED
July 24, 2001 - (The Rising Nepal) There is a need to redefine the role of the governmnt, NGOs and local government so as to make the fight against trafficking in children more effective.

WAYS TO CURB TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN DISCUSSED
July 23, 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) With a view to curbing the growing problem of women trafficking in the country, two-day workshop on the topic Review of the National Plan of Action Against Trafficking of Children kicked off today at the Capital.

RAPE VICTIM, MOTHER STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL
July 23, 2001 - Kamala Budathoki's frequent visits to the hospital, Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) offices, police stations and the courts with her 9 year old daughter has given her nothing but humiliation, tears and a shredded dignity.

STRESS ON COOPERATION TO CURB WOMEN TRAFFICKING
July 21, 2001 - (Kathmandu Post) The two-day workshop on "Planning Strategy in Enhancing Cooperation against Women Trafficking in the Indo-Nepal Bordering Areas" organised under the joint auspices of Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) concluded here Friday.

MAOISTS USING WOMEN, CHILDREN AS HUMAN SHIELDS
July 18, 2001 – (Nepalnews) The army is using restraint as Maoists are using women and children as human shields in an effort by security forces to free 71 abducted policemen and recover looted weapons on the sixth day of operations in Rolpa Wednesday 650 kms northwest of the capital, an official announcement said.

WOMEN TO GET PARENTAL PROPERTY EVEN AFTER MARRIAGE
July 17, 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) Today marks a victory for the champions of women’s equal rights to parental property.

‘NEPAL NOT DOING WELL IN FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING’
July 15, 2001 – (The Rising Nepal) The recently released report of the U.S. State Department on Human Trafficking has listed Nepal as one of the 47 countries that have failed to meet the minimum standards set forth in the international law on trafficking but are making efforts to reach that standard.

CALL FOR MEASURES TO CONTROL PROSTITUTION
July 14, 2001 - (RSS) President of the DDC federation and chairman of Kavre DDC Krishna Prasad Sapkota inaugurated an awareness programme on trafficking in girls and control of prostitution organised by the women development office Dhulikhel on Friday.

REBELS KILL WOMAN
July 14, 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) Maoist rebels have recently given death penalty to a woman from Siuna VDC-2 on charges of her being police informant against the Maoist activities, a notice pasted in the VDC said.

Maoist source said that Bhadra Sanjyal, 23, was killed for she organised women in her village and provided information to the police about the Maoist activities.

Meanwhile, Birman Bam, a resident of Siuna VDC-8 has been abducted by the rebels on charges of murder on Friday, according to Bam’s family source. His whereabout is still unknown.

SARITA AWAITING ABDUCTED HUSBAND’S RETURN
July 11, 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) Twenty-six years old Sarita Bhandari believes that the Maoists have kept her abducted husband safe somewhere in the jungle.

LAWMAKERS COMMITTED TO WOMEN'S PROPERTY RIGHT
July 9, 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) Lawmakers of both the ruling and opposition parties today showed their commitment to have the bill, concentrating on equal property rights to women, passed from the running session of the Parliament.

WOMEN ACCUSE POLICEMEN OF HARASSMENT
July 2, 2001 – (Nepalnews) Religions the world over define man and woman as two wheels of the chariot and deem them equal. Hinduism goes a step forward, often describing woman as an incarnation of goddesses and so on.

I/NGOS CALL FOR POLITICAL WILL TO CONTROL GIRL TRAFFICKING
June 16, 2001 – (Kathmandu Post) There has been a remarkable growth in the number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social pressure groups campaigning to stop trafficking in women and girls in recent years, but lack of political will has hampered their efforts.

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