Women and Indigenous Population Related Rights

More than half of Nepal’s population is represented by women.  Women empowerment is impossible without defining women rights first. Nepal Constitution defines the following laws, rights and other factors.

1. Build a cooperative society which is equal, inclusive and involved by all members.
2. End gender inequality.
3. Citizenship obtainable from mother’s name as well.
4. No discrimination based on origin, religion, caste, gender, disability, etc.
5. Special functions for socially or culturally backwards women, disabled citizens, etc. to empower, conserve, or develop the rights.
6. Give women equal rights in hierarchy rights.
7. Give women rights in safe maternal and reproductive health.
8. Violence against women on the basis of religious, social and cultural traditions or any physical, mental, sexual, psychological or any other kind of violence to be stopped. Such action is punishable by detention and victim compensation.
9. Involvement of women in every sector of the government by equal and inclusive format.
10. Provide special opportunity for women in education, health, employment and social security.
11. Equal rights for men and women in marital wealth and family matters.
12. Formation of National Women Commission.
13. Women can participate in all of the state authorities to guarantee the right to equal social justice.
14. Economically disadvantaged and disabled women have the right to social security.
15. Ensuring the fundamental rights and human rights and ensuring gender equality to be the objective of the government.

Indigenous and tribe related Rights

Nepal is a multi-languaged and multi-ethnic country. More than 125 indigenous cultures live here. 59 of these indigenous cultural groups have been further classified as tribal groups. Indigenous cultures are lagging behind in terms of human development due to their lack of access and progress in education, communication, health care, etc. Basic level education is a must and has been classified as the rights of indigenous cultures along with the above mentioned basic rights. Indigenous means the cultures following their mother tongue, a separate traditional customs, cultural identity, social structure, and written or unwritten history to remember the nation or community. The establishment of Indigenous Nationalities Act, 2058 Section 1 Subsection 2 has been formulated to this very means.

Educational and other rights for indigenous population

1. Right for basic education free of cost and compulsory for all.
2. Right to child friendly environment in schools.
3. Right to conserve and prosper their language, scripts and civilization.
4. Right to easy access to the natural resources and means in the locality.
5. Right to education in their own mother tongue language.
6. Right to high school education with scholarships.
7. Special opportunities in service provided by the government in various housing and employment facilities.
8. Right to involvement and inclusiveness in different organs of the government.

The government’s attempts to establish indigenous rights

1. Establishing the Nepal Indigenous Commission.
2. Availability of education in mother tongue up to the primary level.
3. Involvement in various institutions of the state for equal access and opportunity to indigenous participants.
4. Curriculum, text books and educational materials as well as teachers management to teach in mother tongue.
5. Scholarship system