At an interaction program organized by Nepal Press Union, a number of speakers insisted that politically active women should have courage to boycott election until and unless their parties ensure women´s fair representation in the election and CA. [break]
“It is good to knock the door of the election commission, but it is not enough. The election commission cannot compel the parties to ensure women´s representation. The parties have to do it,” said Sangeeta Lama, former president of Working Women Journalists (WWJ). “We will continue to lobby for the reason. Though the people who can really bring about change are women and students affiliated to political parties,” she added.
According to president of Sancharika Samuha Nirmala Sharma, the parties had promised for not 33 but 51 percent of women´s representation in all levels of state mechanism in their earlier election manifesto. “But when the time came to translate those words in deeds, they all failed miserably. This time, the parties cannot fool people like that,” she said.
Meanwhile, CPN-UML central committee member Radha Gyanwali announced that she would not take part in election if her party does not ensure the demanded participation of women. According to her, despite their ideological differences, women of all political parties are in a mood to boycott election if the condition is met. “There is no point in following the party that fails to meet the condition,” she stressed.
As the possibility of elections grow stronger, over 24 women´s organizations, including Jagaran Nepal, Sancharika Samuha, WWJ and Didi Bahini, among others, intra-party women´s alliance and various individual women rights activists have been organizing series of interaction programs to make their voice heard.
The country had made a historic progress by ensuring 33 percent women´s participation in the CA in 2008. Political experts have calculated that the percentage is likely to fall to around 22 percent in the upcoming election if other ways to meet the target are not tried.
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