Advancing Women’s Human Rights in Post-Conflict Nepal

Nov. 24, 2008—The recent U.S. presidential election brought heightened attention to the role of women in politics, with women vying for both president and vice president positions among the major parties. As the dust settles on the U.S. election, women in Nepal are continuing to press for greater political inclusion in their country, which is writing a new constitution and establishing a new post-conflict governance structure.

At the forefront of these efforts is the new WomenAct Network, a coalition of Nepali women’s organizations and networks that emerged from a CEDPA workshop on how to take advantage of the political opportunities that open up for women in post-conflict settings.

The WomenAct Network drafted a women’s charter to specifically promote and protect the human rights of women in Nepal’s new constitution. The charter calls for drafters of the constitution—a 601-member Constituent Assembly elected in April that includes 181 women representatives—to include protections in the constitution for the economic, social and political advancement of women.

CEDPA and its partners in the WomenAct Network submitted copies of the newly drafted women’s charter to each member of the Constituent Assembly and held a one-day session for women Assembly members to share these recommendations.

The women’s charter calls for a constitution that advances women’s human rights in Nepal through actions such as:

• Putting an end to all types of gender-based discrimination of women in economic and social life;



• Confronting social practices and customary laws that prohibit or restrict women’s advancement and/or promote violence;



• Guaranteeing property inheritance and promoting economic advancement for women;


• Advancing women’s political representation at all levels of government;



• Guaranteeing the right of citizenship for all women, their children and their husbands;


• Making the right to quality maternal health care a national priority; and



• Protecting against all forms of violence at home and in public spheres.

CEDPA Alumna and Youth Activist, Srijana Adhikari is one of the founding members of the WomenAct Network.

In addition to advocacy directed at the Constituent Assembly members, the WomenAct network also is working to ensure broad, democratic input into the constitution drafting process.

The WomenAct network has been using radio programs to keep women and girls throughout Nepal informed and involved in the emerging constitution process. The network also is training other civil society organizations on how to engage in the process, and has launched a new Web site to serve as an organizing tool for women’s advocacy.

As other governance structures are formed in Nepal, CEDPA and the WomenAct network will continue to keep a spotlight on the need for promoting and protecting women’s human rights. For example, CEDPA has been training newly-appointed Peace and Gender Focal Points in each of Nepal’s national-level ministries, to improve their ability to develop gender and socially inclusive sensitive post-conflict programming.

CEDPA’s work with WomenAct is part of the organization’s commitment to empower women and girls worldwide to live healthier lives and become full partners in the development of their communities. Working hand-in-hand with organizations and community leaders in Nepal, CEDPA has provided women and girls with the knowledge, resources and skills to advocate for their social, educational, economic and political needs since 1988.

  What is RSS?