Nepali Congress MP Gita Gurung Demands Formal State Apology to Women for Past Discrimination

Kathmandu. Nepali Congress MP Gita Gurung has demanded that the state formally apologize for the suffering women have endured due to past structural discrimination and malpractices. Speaking in a recent House of Representatives meeting, MP Gurung, noting the government's positive start by apologizing to the Dalit community, stated that it should now also seek forgiveness from women.

MP Gurung presented the fact that women in Nepali history have faced discrimination, violence, and deprivation for generations. She mentioned that due to malpractices like Sati, accusations of witchcraft (boksi), and Chhaupadi, and discrimination in citizenship and property rights, women have always remained second-class citizens. She expressed gratitude for initiatives such as BP Koirala appointing Dwarika Devi Thakurani as South Asia's first female minister in 2016 BS and the establishment of the Ministry of Women and Children and the National Women Commission during former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's tenure.

MP Gurung expressed concern that women's issues are not adequately addressed in the current government's policies and programs. She drew the government's attention to bringing programs in the upcoming budget that would provide a sense of justice to women, from rural laborers to entrepreneurs. Speaking at the meeting, she said, 'If the apology to the Dalit community is the beginning of justice, then the apology to our sisters is the introduction of civilization. The state must now formally apologize to women in public. This apology should not be limited to mere words but should be accompanied by ensuring their meaningful representation, economic self-respect, and self-reliance.'

She also expressed concern over the low presence of women in the major organs of the state. Her comment was that a recent photograph from the Chief Justice's oath-taking ceremony at Shital Niwas clearly showed the dominance of men in the high positions of the executive, judiciary, and security bodies. Stating that inclusive democracy should not be limited to paper, she demanded that the government ensure women's access to policy-making levels.