Prime Minister Balen Shah Extends Greetings on 8th National Women's Rights Day

Kathmandu. On the occasion of the 8th National Women's Rights Day, Prime Minister Balen Shah has extended heartfelt greetings to all Nepali sisters and brothers residing in the country and abroad, as well as to all those active in the field of protecting, preserving, and promoting women's rights.

This day is being celebrated across the country with various programs on Jestha 16, 2083, under the main slogan 'Respect for Women's Rights: Campaign for Self-Reliance and Prosperity'.

Extending greetings on the occasion of the day, Prime Minister Shah mentioned that Nepal's constitution has clearly expressed a commitment to ending gender discrimination and building a proportional, inclusive, and equitable society. Clarifying that the constitution has ensured women's rights as fundamental rights, he stated that it guarantees proportional and inclusive representation and meaningful participation of women in all state bodies and structures.

The state has adopted the economic, social, political, and educational empowerment of women as its policy priority, as mentioned in the message. The Prime Minister stated that the positive results of the inclusive policies and programs adopted by the state are beginning to be seen.

As a result of this, he said that there has been a significant increase in the representation and participation of women in various state organs, sectors, and bodies. Furthermore, Prime Minister Shah mentioned that there has been a gradual improvement in gender equality, women's empowerment, and gender development indices.

While efforts for improvement are underway, the Prime Minister pointed out that many challenges still remain in women's empowerment and building a just society. Emphasizing the need to adopt a policy of zero tolerance towards all forms of gender-based violence, he stated that patriarchal thinking, child marriage, witchcraft, Chhaupadi, dowry, and tilak, which act as obstacles in society, still persist.

In addition, he stated that it is necessary to end gender-based, domestic, and digital violence. The Prime Minister mentioned that to solve these problems, it is necessary to conduct nationwide campaigns for legal remedies, social awareness enhancement, and the development of gender-friendly behavior.

The Prime Minister has pledged that the government will pay special attention to the all-round upliftment and empowerment of women to build an equitable society. He clarified that the government will adopt a policy to end all forms of violence, exploitation, and discrimination against women.

Prime Minister Shah has called upon all citizens to unite and work towards developing the competitive capacity of women through empowerment, especially those who are economically, socially, and educationally backward, and to build a gender-friendly behavior and culture.