Form an inclusive negotiating team: British envoy

By Ameet Dhakal

KATHMANDU, Feb 8 : While the constitution of a negotiating team for formal dialogue with the Maoist rebels lingers on, Keith Bloomfield, the British Ambassador to Nepal has called upon the government to form an inclusive democratic team to take on the Maoists.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Post, Bloomfield said, "The actual composition of the team is a matter of the government, and I really don’t want to interfere with that, but I would urge that the government finds way to include all political parties in the process."

Reaffirming his point, the ambassador said, "We will continue to urge the government to carry with it in the negotiations, the full range of the democratic constituencies."

Since the political parties, the government and His Majesty the King have agreed that the bottom line is the preservation of the multiparty democracy and the constitutional monarchy, added the ambassador, "that seems to me the basis of the cross party approach to the negotiation".

He expressed happiness that Nepal has a cease-fire for the last 10 days but did not conceal his scepticism, too. "We have always believed that the negotiated solution to conflict here in Nepal is, by far, the best solution and we are delighted that we now seem to be on that track." However, we treat the current process with a degree of scepticism that it deserves, said the British envoy.

He also hinted that the British government would continue to strengthen the government’s hand in enforcing security. "We will not be letting down our guard; we will be continuing to support the government efforts in strengthening their responses in a number of ways."

Britain has extended a crucial support to Nepal in containing the Maoist insurgency. She initiated and chaired the donor group’s meeting in London last August that discussed political, security and development issues. Following the meeting, British government pledged supports that included, among others, two combatant helicopters and military hardware. Department For International Development, the British government’s funding agency, has one of the largest conflict resolution programmes in Nepal.

Despite the scepticism, Bloomfield sees a real chance of peace and expressed donor community’s willingness to support it. He also revealed that the major donor agencies in Kathmandu have formed a sub-committee to explore ways in which they can support the peace process in the coming days.

We are ready to extend any support, including the immediate technical assistance needed for the negotiation process and medium term help for rehabilitation and reintegration of the victims of the conflict, he said.

The sub-committee, according to the ambassador, met with the government officials last week and expressed its willingness to support the peace process. A government source told The Sunday Post that the United Nations Development Programme has even proposed for a weekly appraisal of the peace process to consolidate the fragile truce and to transform it into a lasting peace.

Reports spell out steps to ensure gender parity

By Damaru Lal Bhandari

KATHMANDU, Feb 8 : Latest reports on gender assessment in education, health and civil service have suggested a number of measures which could go a long way in mainstreaming women in various walks of life. Among others, the three reports in question have suggested inculcating gender-balanced perspective among planners, administrators and members of the political establishment.

While facilitating successful completion of particular level of education among young women, has been pointed out as future agenda in the report concerning gender assessment in the education sector, other notable suggestions include introducing gender auditing at the planning level.

The suggestion comes in the wake of the ground reality whereby successive regimes have taken pride in saying that women should get equal opportunity when it comes to admission in educational institutions.

"This cannot ensure mainstreaming of women to any extent," the report coming from Mainstreaming Gender Equity Programme (MGEP) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says. All the three sectoral reports come from MGEP and concerned ministry.

Apart from popularising female teachers in public high schools and hiring of teachers from the vicinity of the schools, the study has recommended 33 percent reservation for them. Other tips include growing role of women in the functioning of the schools and universities, and reaching the girl child when it comes to achieving universal primary education.

Analysis of budgetary policy from gender perspectives shows the budget earmarked to fund girls and women specific educational needs was merely Rs.116.3 million, which is 1 percent of the education budget. Compare this with Rs.11, 663.2 million earmarked during 2000-2001 for education programmes, drawn up for both boys and girls.

Meanwhile, the report concerning the mainstreaming of women in civil service stresses the need on the part of the government to come out with a policy declaration to address gender imbalance in bureaucracy. Equally important, however, is the task of strategising to translate the public commitment into reality.

Similarly, the health assessment report, among others, points out at discrimination against women as the root cause of their poor health and, as in the case of report on education, lays stress on inculcating elements of gender balanced perspective among policy planners.

While life expectancy is more or less similar at 57.3 and 57.8 for males and females respectively, it is the literacy rate at 41 and 25 percent, respectively which shows definite gender imbalance.

Significantly enough, suggestion concerning health include guaranteeing household level food security for both men and women. Empowerment of women on socio-economic, political, legal and on the human rights, too, has been suggested. "Once this (empowerment) is ensured, women can be expected to have control over decisions concerning health and reproduction," the report on health assessment says.

"Since women’s health is determined by economic, social, educational, political and environmental factors, there is a need to have functional coordination among all the line agencies. This alone can enhance the status of the women."

Additional tips to improve the status of the women include passing legislation as demanded under Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The stress is also laid on enabling women to have access to food, education and control over income and comprehensive and integrated programmes to help the cause of the women in all respects.

Much like in the education sector, the report concerning mainstreamising women in civil service has suggested blanket reservation at the rate of 25 percent in intake and 25 percent in promotion to Class II and Class I level positions.

In fact, the study has suggested initiation of two merit list systems whereby the Public Service Commission (PSC) would be obliged to go by two separate merit lists for women and men when it comes to picking up candidates for selection interview as the second option. The study has suggested amendment in the governing Act to enable women obtain more marks for promotion over the same period of time.

The suggestions come in the wake of there being only 7,713 women in civil service as of April 1998, with 7,210 working at the lower level while 28 out of 503 officers work at senior levels something which amply demonstrates every element of gender imbalance in the civil service. The strength of the civil service is 103,679, with 10, 893 of them working as gazetted officers.

Children of conflict face bleak future

By Damakant Jayshi

NEPALGUNJ, Feb 8 : In a small but clean, one-roomed school of this town in the west of the country, a 10-year old girl is actively assisting over a dozen children of her age, in their studies. Very much like a seasoned teacher she moves from one child to another, helping with a correction here making suggestions there and, despite her tender age, being able to maintain discipline in a roomful of pre-teens.

Assisting Bimala Dahal, the outstanding girl from Bankatuwa-4 village of Banke district, some 13 kilometres from Nepalgunj, in her job of helping the other children, is Hira Chand, another precocious 10 year-old, but a boy from Kohalpur of the same district.

Bimala, Hira and all the other children in the room share one similarity all are survivors of gruesome and violent incidents caused by the civil war that has gripped the country for the last seven years. Their parents were killed: either by security personnel or the Maoists.

Bimala’s father was abducted from home and shot dead by army personnel, just because her uncle had wounded a soldier. The uncle was also killed subsequently. Hira’s father, a forestry project worker, had been killed by the Maoists.

Bimala, her eight year-old sister Sarala, Hira and the fifteen other children in the one-roomed class, aged between five and one, are not the happiest of children but they are among the lucky few who are receiving regular meals, an educational opportunity and a roof over their heads - for the moment. Dwindling resources and the conflict of interests between the organisations providing them with support have also threatened their future.

Many orphans in war-ravaged villages all over the country are languishing in hunger, disease and lack of education opportunities.

"It is estimated that thousands of children have been orphaned during the last seven years fighting, and most of them are living in appalling conditions," says Bal Krishna Joshi, secretary of SAHARA (Social Awareness and Helping Activities in Rural Areas). SAHARA is providing shelter to all the 18 children, with Bal Mandir, school for children, providing them the education opportunity.

SAHARA is one of the social organisations involved in the rehabilitation of children orphaned by the insurgency. However, like all other similar organisations, it is facing a severe resource crunch.

According to Joshi, who is also a journalist, the conflict between the organisations working in the field is also weakening the NGOs’ capacity to assist such children. "Other NGOs and INGOs have their own pre-set conditions to be fulfilled before our request of supporting such children is considered," revealed Joshi.

Some of the NGOs are even advocating sending the children back to their villages of domicile and supporting with financial assistance. "A renowned INGO even asked SAHARA to send the children back home. But this would not solve the problem, as they cannot get proper education in their villages. Moreover, this is against our organisation’s philosophy," says Joshi.

Gauri Pradhan, president of Child Workers in Nepal - Concerned Centre (CWIN) told The Sunday Post that keeping children in shelter homes or orphanages may not be good for such children’s psychology in the long run. "Those who have alternatives like going back to one surviving parent or relatives must be sent back," said Pradhan. "But if the children have no alternative, then these children of conflict may be kept in such homes as long as necessary. These children also need trauma counselling, besides food, clothing, shelter and education."

Pradhan suggested crisis-centres would be better options for the victimised children. "In cases where the children have nowhere to go even after the conflict is over, places like SAHARA are necessary and such organisations must be helped by others." According to him, more than 5,000 children have been affected due to the Maoist insurgency, out of which some 2000 have been directly affected, with one or both parents being killed.

Significantly, while adults are busy involved in the business of killing each other, the orphaned children, despite their adverse situations are contemplating an ideal world where they could serve humanity. Hira Chand wants to become a doctor to serve the sick people, Bimala wants to become an engineer, and Sarala a teacher.

Bimala, a village girl from a remote part of the country confidently told The Sunday Post in English, "I want to become an engineer and build houses for the poor and needy people." Will it be possible for her to achieve hers dreams?