Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety made public the “policy on gender and inclusion in election, 2070” amid a function organized by the commission at the EC´s central office in the capital.[break]
Addressing the function, Uprety said that they will incorporate the policy in their strategies in future. “We want to develop the EC as a leading inclusive institution from gender as well as other perspectives,” added the chief election commissioner.
Election Commissioner Ila Sharma stated that they want to stimulate reflection, provide direction and drive action at the commission through formulation of such policies.
“This time round, we will be collecting gender-disaggregated data on all aspects of the electoral process, including voter registration and voter participation, in order to highlight any discrepancies or weaknesses that might require attention, to identify aspects of the process that can be improved,” she maintained.
As per the newly introduced policy, the commission will proportionally accommodate concerns of all men, women and third gender from all classes, regions and communities in the electoral process.
The policy states that gender balance and inclusiveness will be kept in mind while there will be appointments or replacements of commissioners and other staff.
As per the policy, EC will reshuffle the current secretariat and will develop a separate mechanism to give emphasis on gender balance and inclusiveness.
The commission can form a seven-member coordination committee headed by an election commissioner in order to implement the policy effectively.
The policy states that the commission will take necessary initiatives to create environment for men, women and third gender from Dalit, marginalized, oppressed communities to ensure their fair participation in all election-related processes.
The commission will ensure the rights of all men, women and third gender to represent and be represented without any discrimination, states the policy.
The policy has envisioned developing the commission as a gender sensitive institution on the basis of proportional representation of all men, women and third gender from all classes, regions and communities.
The commission will incorporate necessary provisions in election related acts, rules and regulations in order to address the concerns of all men, women and third gender.
Related story
Call to prioritize gender inclusion in budget planning
