The three=day conference is expected to discuss on various issues concerning the single women especially their rights and empowerment. [break]
The conference is organized by the Women for Human Rights, single women group ( WHR) together with the South Asian Network for Widows´ Empowerment in Development (SANWED) with the financial and technical assistance from the UNDEF.
Representatives from 17 countries including Afghanistan, Spain, Philippines, Italy, Germany, Bhutan and Britain are taking part in the conference.
The organizers are hopeful that the conference would be successful in ensuring the rights of single women across the world. Besides, the conference has stressed on a separate UN Resolution on Widowhood.
Inaugurating the conference, Vice President Parmanand Jha said the government should pay special heed towards guaranteeing the rights of widows by ending the negative perception of the society towards them.
"Widows need equal treatment from the society rather than pity and sympathy," the Vice President said, stressing the need of proper education, employment opportunity and special income generating training to widows for their holistic development.
"All sorts of discriminations in the Nepalese society will be put to an end and building of prosperous society will be possible if we work together giving up selfishness", he added.
Similarly, Secretary with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare Dinesh Hari Adhikari said the discriminative policies regarding single
women are being scrapped and the ministry is doing homework to formulate a Fund Regulations for social security of the single women. He stressed on poverty alleviation and public awareness programmes to resolve the problems of single women.
National Women´s Commission Chairperson Sheikh Chandtara stated that women were still treated as the ´second-class citizen´ and their financial, social and cultural empowerment was a must to improve their livelihood.
On the occasion, the Vice President unveiled a book ´ Sahayatra´ or journey together published by the Group.
The programme was presided over by WHR founder LilyThapa. Chairman of Loomba Foundation Lord Raj Loomba, SANWED international focal persons Margaret Owen, SANWED member of Bangladesh Dr Ferdous Ara Begum, Dr Masuma Hassan of Pakistan and Dr Mohini Giri of India underlined the need of collective efforts to improve social, economic and cultural status of single women.
"Single women are the most vulnerable to violence , conflict and health-related problems, they said. The conference will also dwell on the issues of violence against women in the developing countries mainly Africa, South Asia and Middle East countries, wretched social and economic status of women in these countries and their empowerment, drawing global concerns towards the issues of single women, the organizers said.
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