Nepalese Women's Involvement in Peace Talks and all Decision-Making
The Institute for Human Rights Communication Nepal, Press Release, March 2003

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.

During the programme, Mr. Narayan Singh Pun, chief guest of the programme, Minister of Physical Planning and Works and key co-ordinator of the peace process, said that women have few options and little in their favour when it comes to social and political participation, and this was an area of concern for him. He said that he always tried to promote women's involvement. He also said that during peace talks, nobody wins and nobody loses, and therefore victory and defeat are not relevant issues during talks. He claimed that he had also sent the first two of the points mentioned below, to the National Planning Commission for immediate implementation.

Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Politburo member of the Maoist Party, had been invited to the conference, but could not attend despite previously accepting his invitation. Ms. Kalpana Dhamala, General Secretary of ANWA (Revolutionary) - a party affiliated with CPN-Maoist, said that without political and social change, small changes to improve the situation of women are unlikely to happen or to suceed.

The following points were unilaterally accepted by the participants of the programme:

Seven years ago, the Maoists started the "Peoples' War", in order to force the government to implement their 40 demands. Now the war is over, and the process to initiate peace talks is underway. In this context, the government, civil society, NGOs and INGOs have a duty to ensure the inclusion of issues that affect all segments of society – crossing gender, caste and geographical boundaries. To this end the following agenda, which encompasses the main priority areas to be considered during the peace talks, was identified. All participants have expressed solidarity with these aims, at the above-mentioned roundtable discussion organised by IHRICON.

1. To manage all immediate responsibilities involved in caring for children who have been orphaned in the course of the war.

2. To manage and create employment and occupations for women who have been displaced or widowed due to the war.

3. To rehabilitate and provide long term support to those who have been internally displaced due to war, and have consequently lost their homes and their livelihoods.

4. To establish an unbiased tribunal where victims of sexual abuse and sexual violence used in the course of the conflict, can have their cases heard and judged in an environment free of social taboos and stigmas.

5. To involve women necessarily and officially at every stage of the peace talks, as well as other national and local problem solving processes and bodies - from the district level to national level.

6. To undertake regular field visits to monitor the situation of people living in conflict affected areas, and to ensure that women are an integral part of this monitoring.

7. To maintain a focus on women and children during rehabilitation and reconstruction process which will follow the war, at every level and from every related body.

8. To ensure that the judiciary treats the protection and promotion of women's rights as a priority area.

9. To inspect and monitor all activities during the peace talks, from local to central level, to ensure transparency, representativeness and fairness.

10. To ensure the involvement of women necessarily in order for the peace agreement to be sustainable and non-punishable in the long term.