UN Women Nepal and the Non-Resident Nepali Association pledge to promote Gender equality and Women's Empowerment
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Kathmandu, Nepal – Senior representatives from the government, private sector and the civil society came together to commemorate the new agreement signed between NRNA and UN officials for gender equality and women’s empowerment at the UN Women Nepal office today.
The agreement signed by UN Women Nepal representative Mr Ziad Sheikh and the President of Non-Resident Nepal Association(NRNA) Mr Shesh Ghale today marks the renewal of an earlier agreement signd two years ago on 5th August 2014.
The two sides have agreed on a sustained and effective partnership to deepen the effectiveness of financing for gender equality and women’s rights; promote exchange of information and skills between diaspora populations and Nepalis to foster equitable development and Planet 50-50 by 2030. Also, both have agreed to work towards the empowerment of different women’s groups including migrant workers during the construction of a model village in Larpark of Gorkha district.
Speaking at the programme, President of the NRNA Mr Shesh Ghale said, “We are very pleased to partner with the UN Women for the second time. I am confident that this partnership will contribute towards the empowerment of women both within and outside the country. More importantly, this partnership has opened up avenues to empower women affected by the April/May earthquakes in Larpark of Gorkha district.”
Mr Ghale reminisced his last trip to Gorkha where 95 % of the population affected by the earthquake were women, and stressed it is important to empower them and help them play a leading role in rebuilding their homes. “We are involving them in the process of building a model village in Larpark and other areas containing 1000 homes in total. We already have the financial resources and the willingness to do the job—and now with support from UN Women we can make it happen.”
Similarly, UN Women Nepal Representative Ziad Sheikh said, ‘’UN Women and NRNA have made some good progress in the first phase of our partnership. After the devastating earthquake of last year, there was a shift of focus and attention by everybody working within the country and from outside to support the Nepal government in immediate response. We have reflected this shift in the new chapter of our partnership, primarily in the vision of the model village. We will be working together to ensure the vision of a model village which is a very important vision for reconstruction is gender sensitive and gender responsive.”
Mr Sheikh further added that as partners working in Nepal to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, it is essential that both UN Women and NRNA strive harder to reach those groups of people who not necessarily agree with us or understand what it is to advance gender equality and advance women’s empowerment. “Those are the groups of population that we have to reach and that we have to ensure understand the inherent responsibilities they have as young men and boys to contribute to advancing the rights of their female fellow citizens. UN Women globally launched the HeforShe campaign to do exactly this: make young men boys around the world pledge their support for advancing global gender equality.”
Speaking at the same programme, Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Mr Madhu Regmi said,” Gender equality is a global challenge. Already 189 countries have adopted a blueprint to achieve equality for women. However, not a single country till date has reached gender parity and equality. Nepal, however is a performing country in terms of gender equality and women’s empowerment and to give momentum to the good work Nepal is doing, we need to get as many men and boys as possible to join the fight for gender equality, and the partnership signed between UN Women and NRNA today is a step in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Chief Commissionar at the National Information Commission, Krishna Hari Baskota said, ”Today is a very important occasion for UN Women and NRNA, and I would like to congratulate them both on their new partnership. Women’s empowerment is not only a women’s issue but a human rights issue, therefore we should always give it a serious thought.”
In the programme, Strategic Partnership Specialist for UN Women Ms Sharu Joshi shed light on UN Women-NRNA partnership while the Nepal Co-ordinator of Men Engage Alliance Mr Kapil Kafle briefly touched upon the heforshe programme.
For more information:
Please contact: Monica Upadhyay
Communications Officer, UN Women Nepal Country Office.
Email: [ Click to reveal ]