Crown Princess inaugurates food fair

Kathmandu, Mar. 8 (RSS): Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah inaugurated the nutritious food fair organised by Safe Motherhood Network of Nepal on the occasion of the International Women’s Day at a function here today.

On the occasion Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess viewed the stalls of the nutritious fair with keen interest.

Speaking on the occasion Minister for Health Sharat Singh Bhandari said that such programmes would help to generate awareness among the people about the importance of balanced diet at a time when many women have been loosing their lives due to the lack of nutritious food during pregnancy and post partum period.

Minister Bhandari expressed the view that the women should be provided the right to take their own decisions as they (women) cannot obtain the opportunity of taking part in the mainstream of development until their fundamental rights are safeguarded.

Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Rajendra Kharel said that 12 women loose their lives every day during pregnancy and post partum period in Nepal.

Kharel said that nutritious food plays an important role in safe motherhood which is the birth right of the woman.

Chairperson of Safe Motherhood Network of Nepal Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba said that it is the responsibility of the family to provide adequate rest and balanced diet to woman during pregnancy and post partum period as majority of the women suffer from weakness and anemia and fall victims due to lack of nutritious food during pregnancy.

She said that the nutritious food fair focuses on what food a woman should take during pregnancy and post partum period and how to prepare these nutritious food.

Country Director of Cedpa/Nepal Christa Skerry said "As long as women are not valued equally, safe motherhood will remain a great challenge and the lives of many women and children are at risk."

Chairperson of Safe Motherhood Network techical committee Dr. Dibya Shree Malla and chairperson of Safe Motherhood Network events committee Surya Kumari Shrestha threw light on the importance of nutritious food during pregnancy and post partum period.

On the occasion nutritious food were distributed to the pregnant women as well as women who have already given birth to a child.

MPs hail Women’s Commission

Kathmandu, Mar. 8 (RSS): Most of the MPs at the House of Representatives today expressed best wishes to women on the occasion of Women’s Day.

Deputy leader of the CPN (UML) KP Sharma Oli, at the start of the meeting welcomed the formation of the National Women’s Commission.

Speaking of the need to pass the bill prohibiting girl trafficking and flesh trade, Oli stressed that equal rights should be provided to women in all bodies including policy-making level and spoke of the need to find a proper way out of the 11th amendment to the civil code.

Govind Raj Joshi of Nepali Congress wondered why no initiatives have been taken so far to amend the Constitution even after the party chief has already expressed his positive attitude towards constitution amendment.

Thirty five members of Parliament have not yet been included into any of Parliamentary Committee, he further said.

CPN (UML)’s Birodh Khatiwada demanded that the Prime Minister himself assure the House about what he said about Constitution amendment since conflicting views are coming about this from the mps of the ruling party themselves.

RPP’s Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana demanded that compensation be provided to the victims of the Achham episode and spoke of the need to reconstruct the damaged tower at Sanphebagar Airport.

Narayan Man Bijukchhe of the NWPP said that establishment of child care centres and children’s parks at the compounds of factories will be of great help to working women and women’s day will be fruitful only if equal opportunities are provided to them.

Ashtalaxmi Shakya of the CPN-UML said that setting up of the National Women’s Commission and tabling of the two bills concerning women on women’s day were welcome steps and demanded a public holiday for women on this day.

Bidya Devi Bhandari of the same party said that the functions and duties of the National Women’s Commission should be specified by law to make it powerful.

Sushila Nepal, also of the CPN-UML, said that women should be given equal wage for equal work, maternity leave extended to four months and provisions made to provide citizenship on the basis of the mothers’ name.

Mrs Kamala Pant of the Nepali Congress said the mentality of society that while empowering women men would lose their rights should be changed and demanded that a bill be presented in the current session to make the National Women’s Commission autonomous.

Kunta Sharma of the CPN-UML recited a poem narrating injustice meted out to women and said that if the women are suppressed then they are bound to take to the street one day.

Prem Bahadur Singh of the same party welcomed the formation of the National Women’s Commission and demanded enactment of law to empower it.

Govind Bahadur Shah of the Nepali Congress said that Rs 5 million released after the achham carnage had provided some relief and after receiving the report on the details of the damages, more cooperation was seen to be necessary.

Kashi Paudel of the same party welcomed the setting up of the National Women’s Commission and the tabling of the two bills and demanded that maternity leave should be extended to four months, women empowered not in speech but in practice, additional programme introduced for maoist affected women and that fifty percent of the teachers in schools should be women.

Til Kumar Menyangbo Limbu of the CPN-UML said that the Maoist issue would not be resolved by mere mobilisation of the army, and therefore programmes of political, economic and social reforms should be introduced as early as possible to resolve it.

Ramchandra Yadav of the RPP said that three persons died in the terrorist attack yesterday at Janakinagar of Sarlahi district and as the people there were panicking at present, law and order should be ensured.

Narayan Singh Pun of the Nepali Congress said that aviation sector in the country had reached a delicate stage because of international events, devaluation of the Nepali rupee and price rise of fuel and therefore the airlines operating in the private sector be declared sick industries and relief provided to them.

Navaraj Suvedi of the Rastriya Janamorcha said that though his party had been seeking equal rights to inheritance for women, the Civil Code Eleventh Amendment Bill had not provided the right and called upon the government to have clear perception on this issue.

Ananda Prasad Pokharel of the CPN-UML alleged that there had been irregularities in the taking of photographs for voter identity cards essential for reforms in the election process.

Dharmanath Prasad Sah of the CPN-UML alleged that some persons of the Royal Nepal Army manhandled Sabar Yadav of Badaramal VDC, Siraha district on March 4 because of personal enmity and demanded treatment of the victim.

MP Lilamani Pokharel said that the rights received by woman labourers of the world after a long struggle were being curtailed at present and attempets were being made to mislead the freedom and emancipation campaign by hosting seminars at five star hotels.

Similarly, Minister of State for Home Devendra Raj Kandel said that industrialist and businessman Tulsiram Agrawal, a resident of Biratnagar, was released at the Raxaul entry point from India yesterday afternoon 40 days after his abduction.

Furnishing replies on a matter of public importance at the meeting of the House of Representatives today, Minister of State Kandel said Agrawal was handed over to his family at Biratnagar at the initiative of the Nepal Police after he was found freed yesterday. He had been extensively searched for by the government, the local administration, the police, intellectuals, journalists, businessmen and Indian Government bodies after he was abducted.

Kandel said action will be taken against those involved in the abduction once information on them is taken from Agrawal after his treatment for mental tension.

Meanwhile, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopal Man Shrestha, demanding time at the meeting of the House of Representatives today, gave an assurance that there will be no violation of law in the implementation of the decision on transfers in the Ministry.

He said works have been completed as per the warning letter from the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on some transfers under the Ministry.

He said no transfers of the period in question have been effected so far.

Compensation for victims of Maoist terror demanded

Kathmandu, Mar. 8 (RSS): A delegation led by convenor of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party emergency monitoring committee Jog Mehar Shrestha met Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at the Prime Minister’s office, Singha Durbar and presented a memorandum, today.

The memorandum which includes incidents during the emergency compiled by the party demands arrangements for treatment and compensation for RPP workers who suffered from Maoist terror.

The delegation included party vice chairman Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, general secretary Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana, central member of the party Rabindra Nath Sharma, spokesman Kamal Thapa, assistant general secretary Khem Raj Pandit and central members Chhetra Bahadur Gurung and Kedarnath Rai.

Similarly, a delegation led by Maulana Mohammad Ayub Sahab on behalf of Madrassas from ten districts of the Kingdom also met with the Prime Minister, today.

The delegation has welcomed the provision made by HMG for registering all the madrassas of the country along with details of income and expenditures by the month of Falgun 2058.

The delegation has requested the Prime Minister to extend the time for registering stating that the time up to the month of Falgun was insufficient.

The Prime Minister assured that the request would be considered sympathetically.

Minister for Water Resources Bijaya Kumar Gachhedar and Minister for Education and Sports Amod Prasad Upadhyaya were also present on the occasion.

There were 23 people’s representatives in the delegation including Maulana Mohammad Abbas, Sunsari, Maulana Mohammad Nazir Sahab, Saptari, Maulana Abdul Aziz Sahab, Rauthat, Kalamuddin Khan Sahab, Morang, Maulana Mehayuddin Sahab, Mahottari, Maulana Nijamuddin Sahab, Chitwan, Maulana Usman Sahab, Dhanuhsa, Advocate Mohammaddeen Ali Sahab, Arghkhanchi, Mohammad Mohiuddin Ansari, Gorakha, and Mohammad Nasaruddeen Ansari, Jhapa.

Also today, a delegation from Achham district led by CPN-UML central committee member and former minister Bhim Rawal called on the Prime Minister.

The delegation demanded reconstruction of the damaged government buildings at Mangalsen, the headquarters of Achham district, provision of treatment for the injured, compensation to families of the deceased and smooth carrying out of the administration work in the district.

It also demanded appropriate steps to make the situation normal and consolidate the security and communications system, and provisions for health, transport and foodgrains supply.

The delegation comprised Achham DDC chairman Krishna Prasad Jaisi, Kul Kuwar, Govinda Bahadur Kuwar, Ram Bahadur Budha, Prem Kuwar, Dwarika Bhattarai, Dan Bahadur Rawal, representatives of various level of the CPN-UML and also of organisations affiliated to the party.

Japan gives aid for debt relief measures

Kathmandu, Mar. 8 (RSS): The government of Japan has agreed to provide a grant assistance of Japanese yen 115.938 million equivalent to Rs 69.30 million to His Majesty’s Government of Nepal.

Notes to this effect were signed and exchanged between Dr. Bimal Prasad Koirala. Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Takamichi Okabe, Charge d’Affaires of the Japanese Embassy on behalf of His Majesty’s Government of Nepal and the government of Japan, respectively at the Finance Ministry today.

Acccording to the note, the government of Japan will provide a grant assistance of Japanese yen 115.838 million equivalent to about Rs 67.70 million to His Majesty’s Government of Nepal under the debt relief measures.

The grant assistance is in lieu of repayment of the principal and acrued interest of the outstanding loans extended by the Government of Japan to the His Majesty’s Government of Nepal.

The grant assistance received from the Government of Japan under its debt relief measures is used for procuring commodities essential for various development works.

The grant assistance under the notes exchanged today is the fourth portion of Japanese grant under the debt relief measures for the Japanese fiscal year 2001.

His Majesty’s Government of Nepal has expressed its sincere appreciation to the Government of Japan for the grant assistance and for its keen interest and continued support for the socio-economic development of Nepal.

Functions mark Women’s Day

Kathmandu, Mar. 8 (RSS): On the occasion of the 92nd Women’s Day, four women who secured first place in various public fields from among the women and three others who have contributed to women’s rights and peace were honored at a function here today.

Those who were honored on the occasion included Mrs Gyani Shah who was the first woman to join the army as nurse, Mina Rokka to join the Civil Service, Sanunani Rajkarnikar to become the school principal and Purna Devi Kansakar who was the first blind woman to pass SLC.

Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Rajendra Kharel honored them by presenting felicitation letters and shawls.

Similarly, UN acting resident representative Winston Rudder honoured Sabitri Chaudhary of Saptari, Ishwora Devi Bishwokarma of Kailali and journalist Tanka Pant for their contribution to promoting women’s rights and peace.

On the occasion, Minister Kharel said every Women’s Day has contributed to raising some awareness about women’s rights and interests.

The parents who have provided education to their girl children deserve to be praised, he further said.

Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Miss Sushila Swanr expressed confidence that the National Women’s Commission formed by His Majesty’s Government today will carry out its work effectively.

Officiating secretary at the Ministry Krishna Prasad Sharma Bhandari noted that His Majesty’s Government is actively involved in removing discriminations between men and women.

The UN acting resident representative Rudder expressed the view that gender discrimination is rampant in Nepal and spoke of the need to ensure rural women’s rights.

Ms Gyani Shah had the Royal Nepal Army as a staff nurse in 2016 BS, former under secretary Mina Rokka had entered the civil service in 2010 BS, Mrs Sanunani Rajkarnikar joined the teaching profession 48 years ago and Poorna Devi Kansakar had passed SLC in 2030 BS.

Similarly, news reports of celebration of Women’s Day across the kingdom have been received.

Nepalgunj: The Banke Chapter of Women’s Development Unit honoured males and females contributing to women’s development and presented prizes to the best group associated with the women’s development branch.

Banke DDC chairman Om Prakash Rana and CDO Bal Krishna Prasai honored Vijaya Laxmi Rana, the first VDC chairperson in Banke district and Chij Bahadur Guragain for contributing to promoting women’s interests by presenting shawls and citations on the occasion.

Various other programs were also organized on the occasion.

President of the Federation of Nepal Journalists, Banke Niraj Kumar Gautam, inaugurating a seminar on the role of women in safe motherhood organised by the UNESCO Banke today, spoke of the need of cooperation between men and women for all round development of women.

The function was chaired by UNESCO Banke vice chairperson Maya KC.

Lalitpur: NC central member and chief of the women’s department Mrs Nona Koirala, inaugurating a seminar on "women’s equality, the need of the day" organized on the occasion of the 92nd Women’s Day here today, complained that in the male-dominated Nepalese society, women are discriminated socially, politically and economically.

Assistant Minister for Physical Planing and works Mrs Sabitri Bogati remarked that even in the 21st century women are seeking equality and there can be nothing more shameful than this.

A host of other speakers including MP Mrs Kashi Paudel and other central members of the association at the function chaired by association president Uma Adhikari.

Biratnagar: The Nepal Family Planning Association Morang Chapter organized a debate on the "necessity of education on sex and reproductive health for women" to mark the occasion today.

Fifteen students from eight schools of the district had taken part in the programme.

Morang DDC vice chairman Tuluram Rajbanshi, distributing prizes to the winners, spoke of the need to provide sex and reproductive health education to women.

The function was chaired by Morang Chapter president of the association Bishwonath Rijal.

To mark the same occasion, the Indian Women’s Literature and Gurkha Culture Promotion Association is to organise a discussion programme for two days beginning tomorrow to exchange views on literature and journalism between journalists of Nepal and India.

Various other programmes were organised in Rajbiraj, Mahendranagar, Nuwakot and different other places of the country on the occasion of the 92nd Women’s Day.

UNICEF seeks global commitment to reduce maternal mortality

By A Staff reporter

Kathmandu, Mar. 8: Every minute a woman dies while pregnant or giving birth, the United Nations Children’s Fund said today, calling for the world to do more to prevent maternal mortality-one of the few measures of human progress to remain virtually unchanged since 1990.

"It is unacceptable that in the year 2002 so many women die in the basic act of giving life," said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. "As we mark International Women’s Day, we must commit ourselves to addressing this fundamental aspect of the gender gap: keeping prospective mothers healthy and alive."

UNICEF said maternal mortality ratios vary widely between the developed and developing world, demonstrating that with proper attention and investment, women’s lives can be preserved. While a woman who gives birth in a developing country faces as high as one in 13 chance of dying, in industrialised countries that risk falls to one in 4,100. It is estimated that 515,000 women die every year as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. More than 99 per cent of these deaths occur in the developing world.

"There hasl been no significant decline in maternal mortality ratios since the early 1990s, and that’s a tragedy," Bellamy said. "We know how to prevent most of the these deaths. Political commitment, and the resources that follow, havel just not developed on this issue. We have to see that as part of a broader tableau of discrimination against women. And it must come to an end."

Women continue to die during pregnancy and childbirth mainly because of low social status and powerlessness, UNICEF said. This limits their access to basic education and basic healthcare. Without basic education, women may remain illiterate and dependent on others for health information. Their ability to pursue information that would empower them to make the best decisions on childbearing, health and nutrition remains compromised.

A mother’s death is especially harsh on her surviving children, UNICEF said. A child’s chance of survival drops dramatically when deprived of a mother’s care.

UNICEF said that measures to reduce maternal mortality are straightforward. "Investment is needed, certainly," Bellamy said. "But the focus must be on the right of women to have these basic material health services. Governments and communities must see this not as an ‘extra’, but as a fundamental component of women’s health, child health, and family health."

Bellamy noted that world leaders gathering for the UN Special Session on Children in May would be confronted with global figures on progress made for children and women since 1990. Maternal mortality is virtually the only area in which no progress was achieved. UNICEF said part of the problem lies in poor data collection.

UNICEF said one of most important factors in preventing deaths from complications in childbirth and pregnancy is access to emergency obstectric care. All deliveries should be overseen by skilled attendants (doctors, nurses, midwives) with access to the equipment, drugs and other supplie essential to basic obstetric care. Available data suggest just 55 per cent of all births world-wide are assisted by a skilled birth attendant.

"It is simply unjust that in a world that has entered a new millennium with unprecedented technological breakthroughs that we allow so many women to die such easily preventable deaths," Bellamy said.

In South Asia alone, 700 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth every day- one women every 2 minutes. These complications can be treated, and every pregnant woman has the right to life-saving emergency obstetric care.

UNICEF’s efforts to reduce maternal mortality in the region are currently focused on ensuring that every women has access to emergency obstetric care services. Through partnerships with government, health providers, community members and other concerned stakeholders a momentum is growing to save women’s lives. In this regard, individual and shared commitment and action is making a difference in South Asia, UNICEF said.

Women’s Commission constituted

Kathmandu, Mar. 8 (RSS): His Majesty’s Government has, with the objective of promoting active participation of women in the development of the nation by safeguarding their rights and well-being, constituted the National Women’s Commission.

The commission has been constituted under the chairmanship of Dr Durga Pokharel with Pratibha Rana, Mahalaxmi (Deena) Upadhyaya, Binda Pandey, Seeta Giri, Uma Karki and Amrita Agrahari as its members. Laxmi Rai is the member-secretary.

According to the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, the Commission will first formulate necessary laws for it and recommend it to the Ministry and suggest His Majesty’s Government for the effective implemetation of the provisions of the International Conventions on Rights and well-being of women, human rights and gender equity.

The commission will also carry out study for exercise, promotion and protection of women’s rights and make recommendations accordingly in pursuance to the international human rights norms and recognition.

The term of office of the commission’s office-bearers will be of two years and their facilities and privileges as fixed by the government, adds the ministry.

Security forces kill 7 armed terrorists, arrest 20

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, March 8: Security forces killed seven armed terrorists and arrested 20 others in course of their search operations in Bardiya, Rukum and Jajarkot districts yesterday.

According to the Defense Ministry, five terrorists were killed in Sukhar area of Bardiya district and one each in Jagatisara area of Rukum and Panchkatiya area of Jajarkot districts in separate encounters with the security forces.

The forces arrested 20 terrorists and seized a truckload of goods they had looted from a shop in Aslewa area of Gulmi district.

Various weapons, bombs and tools for setting up electric ambushes were recovered during their search operations in those areas.

Besides, two guns were recovered from Khairenitar of Tanahu district and ten guns from Panchknaya village of Ilam district. The security personnel arrested eight suspects from the areas.

The security forces safely defused a bomb hung on to a banner at Lamtibazaar in Sitalpati area of Salyan district. The terrorists had used ten kilograms of explosives to cause a blast in that place.

Armed terrorists disguised in army dresses murdered former police constable Mohan Bahadur Khatri, local resident Ram Prit Mahato and his son Dev Nath Mahato at Hajarbigha area of Janakinagar village of Sarlahi district, the Defense Ministry statement said.

Meanwhile, local people handed over 26 guns to the security forces in Manage district, the statement said.

Gupta stresses regional cooperation in information

Kathmandu, Mar. 8 (RSS):Minister for Information and Communications Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta has spoken of the sincere commitment of His Majesty’s Government to strengthening the process of regional cooperation in the field of information and communications.

Minister Gupta, who was addressing the second meeting of SAARC information ministers in Islamabad, Pakistan this morning, said better linkages of communications within the SAARC region will play an important role in enhancing the image of the association and in the implementation of its activities.

All SAARC member states are developing countries and there is a greater degree of harmony and coherence in the approaches towards development issues including the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, disease and lack of flow of information in our societies, he said adding, our actions should concentrate on these issues.

The role of the media has been increasingly important in the promotion of peace and harmony in the region, he observed.

Minister for Information and Communications Gupta, while recalling that the llth SAARC summit conference had decided to give paramount importance to people to people contact among SAARC nations, added that the SAARC nations have started giving institutional shape to the spirit of regional cooperation in the information sector.

Gupta expressed confidence that institutional initiative in regional cooperation will give impetus to reaching the development potential and the positive aspects of SAARC within and outside the SAARC region.

The Minister also expressed the hope that the ministerial meeting will help develop the process of regional cooperation, goodwill, friendship and understanding while stating that SAARC has provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas of common concern to this region.

The establishment of the information network will help uplift the living standard of people in the SAARC region alongside bringing them closer to each other, he added.

He also observed that the meeting covered issues that were recommended by the first meeting of the AARSC information ministers held in Dhaka in 1998.

Nepal has initiated broadcasts in the private sector, material on education, information and entertainment has been effectively disseminated to the masses and special importance given to the radio broadcasts, he said.

Information technology has influenced daily human life at the global level, he said, adding that it will help attain political, social and economic goals.

He also expressed the view that a monitoring machinery should be developed for information and communication technology and matters related to this.

Stating that after 1995, permission had been given to 25 FM broadcasting entities, Minister Gupta said that FM broadcasting had speeded up the overall national development through education.

Stating that attention had been paid to see to it that the freedom of the flow of news and linguistic and cultural integrity were not affected in multi-lingual Nepalese society, the Communications Minister said that such issues came under discussion in FM broadcasts.

The government had a liberal policy of attracting the private sector to television broadcasting, he said and hoped that some private sector television channels would come into operation in the next two years.

The earth satellite had been laying an important role in creating an open communications environment and affecting our daily lives, Minister for Information and Communications Gupta said and added that communications efficiency had been enhanced for social, economic and cultural development in the SAARC countries.

Referring to the important role of the telecommunications sector in the development and modernisation of the information network, he said that HMG had taken ahead the process of implementation of the rural telecommunications development project for the integration of the communications network in all the villages.

‘Most women in Nepal live in pitiable condition’

Kathmandu, Mar. 8 (RSS): Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Rajendra Kharel has said that it has become essential for one and all to understand that women development is not only for women but for the entire nation and put into practice all national and international commitments made for development of women.

In a message on the occasion of the 92nd International Women’s Day, Minister Kharel has expressed best wishes hoping that the women’s day today inspires all to become committed for the promotion and protection of women rights.

Stating that a majority of women in Nepal are living in a pitiable condition and have been deprived from education as a result of the patriarchal socio-economic structure of the society, Minister Kharel has in the message also hoped that the women’s day campaign would help reach education to Nepali women and involve them in the mainstream of national development.