Designed to amplify the voices of women during the drafting of the interim constitution, the new Charter calls for the passage and ratification of a Nepali constitution that reflects both equality and equity in the post-conflict era and in Nepal’s progress towards sustainable peace.

The charter also includes specific social, economic and political safeguards necessary to ensure Nepali women are able to live lives of safety, dignity and respect. Most importantly, the charter calls for the inclusive participation of civil society women in the democratic process.

This year, Nepali women made history when 197 women from across the country were elected to the Constituent Assembly. We, the WomenAct members, call on them and their male counterparts to write a new constitution that recognizes women’s equal participation in all aspects of nation building.

Members of the WomenAct network first came together through a series of CEDPA-led workshops on how women could inform the drafting of the new constitution and provide leadership in forging Nepal’s future. These workshops brought Nepali women together with national constitutional experts and women from other countries including South Africa and Kenya who have led constitutional reforms.

The WomenAct Charter is the culmination of a series of consultations between the new women’s network and other members of civil society at the district and national levels over the past year. The draft was developed after reviewing past and present Nepali constitutions and constitutions from around the world, including South Asia, South Africa, Rwanda and East Timor. The WomenAct network also reviewed other national charters drafted by the Feminist Dalit Organization, the Single Women’s Network and the Human Rights Defenders for Equality and Just Peace.

Information about the WomenAct network is available online at http://www.womenact.org.np.

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