Women's Empowerment
For National Development

By Uttam Maharjan

BIOLOGICALLY, men and women are like chalk and cheese. The difference is natural and cannot be done away with. But this very difference has been taken as a significant factor for despising women as weaker than men in every aspect. So they have been relegated to second-class citizens. It would be interesting to note that once Aristotle said that women were weaker than men. When asked how, he replied that women had one tooth fewer than men had. At the time, no one deemed it necessary to count women's teeth.

Support

In a developing country like Nepal, which is in the clutches of superstition and traditionalism, discrimination against women is very pronounced. Our religious institutions and patriarchal society also support the view that women are weaker and so they should be subjugated for men's benefit.
Discrimination against women is not only prevalent in society but also in language. It may be noted that language developed in male-dominated society, producing sexist words. The very term fair or weak sex used to denote womenfolk as against the term stout or strong sex for men is sexist as well as contemptuous. However, equal treatment to people, both men and women, demur to the use of sexist words in language. They use neutral words or paraphrasing to replace such sexist words.
Nowadays, women's empowerment is a much-touted subject. It is a motto of virtually every political party. The 1994 Cairo Convention on Population and Development went so far as to define women's empowerment.

Women's empowerment would denote a condition in which women gain complete freedom and autonomy and thereby improve their political, economic and health status. Everybody has some latent talents, skills and knowledge. The only thing is that such hidden ingenuity is expressed in some cases and remains unexpressed in most cases. So, it would be prudent to tap women's hidden ingenuity for national development.

Women's empowerment ensures equal control over social and economic resources and a right to self-determination in matters affecting women. Further, it develops in women capacity for making decisions for themselves and also insight into their rights and responsibilities. In a nutshell, women's empowerment enables women to be aware of socio-economic conditions influencing them and their rights and responsibilities.

In Nepal, certain legal and political frameworks aimed at women's development. The Ministry for Women, have been developed. Children and Social Welfare was established in 2057 B.S. Since the Sixth Plan, a policy of developing women has been adopted. The current Tenth Plan has also accentuated women's participation in the nation-building process.

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 2047 has abolished discrimination between men and women and has stressed women's uplift socially, economically and politically. That every political party is required to field at least five per cent women candidates in general elections and local bodies are required to field at least 20 per cent women candidates in local elections is politically significant.
There have been several world conferences on women. Among them, the 1995 Beijing Convention has held the limelight. The convention adopted 12 areas of concern. And, the participating nations were instructed to formulate national policies on women in consonance with these areas of concern.
Since the restoration of multi-party democracy in the country, various measures have been taken to improve the lot of women. Women's awakening, literacy and income generation programmes are some of positive aspects in enhancing women's empowerment.

Women constitute a little over 50 per cent of the total population of the country as per the 2001 Census. But only 42.49 per cent of the women are literate vis-à-vis 65.08 per cent for men. This goes on to show existing educational discrimination against women. This is because very few rural girls are sent to school due to the traditional notion that girls should not be educated and instead they should be confined to household chores and farm and other work. So, it is imperative to embark upon social awakening programmes, especially among rural folk, who constitute 85.8 per cent of the total population. Education and awakening are, in effect, an effective tool for helping women out of the quagmire of primitive thinking patterns.

Vulnerable

There exist many NGOs devoted to the welfare of women. Actually, women are vulnerable to different kinds of exploitation. This is because of the tendency to commodify women as objects of enjoyment, treading on their human conscience. However, people have tumbled on to the fact that women are equal partners in the development process of any country. By excluding women from the mainstream of national development, the country will balk itself of half of the human resources. Therefore, it is high time that the government and women-related organisations worked together to improve the lot of women on a positive note.

Prioritise Health Care Education

By Balaram Chaulagain

HEALTH Minister Dr. Upendra Devkota unveiled a 18 point new health policy to bring improvement in Nepalese health care system a few weeks ago. Unless people enjoy basic level of health care facilities the pace of national development will always be slow. As such, delivering basic primary health care to the vast majority of the populace should be the prime concern of the Health Ministry.

Rise

The top infectious deseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea disorders, tuberculosis, malaria, Kalaazar, measles, HIV/AIDS etc. are also raising their ugly head more vigorously than before. Besides, other non-infectious disease like gross absence of basic obstetric care, malnutrition and such other minor health related problems are common to the poor. To overcome this glaring situation "Health for All" concept was adopted in 1978 A.D.

So long as we cannot provide basic primary health care to all target populace residing across the length and breadth of the country high sounding slogan and rhetoric on overambitious health measure do nothing. The preposterous 18 point new health policy is also smelling rat. It is because that all the set targets lack the basic level primary health care packages. However, introduction of social insurance in health care system is laudable.

It is known to all that the high incidence of morbidity and mortality rate in Nepal are due to the lack of basic health care system in rural areas. Although much has been talked about finding a solution of the existing problems, basic health care, education to all has always been ignored. The proposed 18 - point new health policy does not speak even a single word for strengthening the health care delivery facilities like health posts (HP), primary health care centers (PHC), sub - health posts, (SHP), Ayurvedic Aushadhalaya and such others. The VDC based health posts are what provide health services to the poorest of the poor people living in miserable health condition. There are altogether 750 Ilaka health post, more than three thousand sub-health posts scattered all over the country. As per government's projection the mandatory provision of such village health care facilities is to impart the health services to the people residing in those localities. A great chunk of national resources allocated in the health sector goes to meet the expenditure of such health facilities. But it is an irony to note that till date none of such health post/sub-health post have been strengthened to satisfy the need of the rural populace. At a time when the rural people have to face the hardship of rampant infections disease along with minor ailments, the VDC based health posts are facing several short comings. But the change in health sector like kidney transplantation, cardiac valve implantation, running of other over ambitious aim set by Ministry might thrill some but this is not the actual way out of morbidity and the problems of high mortality. At a time when a great chunk of countrymen living under an abject poverty, the new health plan of action targets mostly the well - to - do - people of urban centres. The holistic package of primary health care includes appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries, provision of essential drugs, prevention and control of epidemic diseases, immunisation against vaccine preventable diseases, maternal and child health care along with family planning, and so on.

Adequate supply of safe drinking water and basic sanitation health education are other main components of primary health care concept. In our context, there is dire need of primary health care. Thousands of people who have no money, no voice and lobby power suffer from morbidity, mortality and disability not because of renal failure, cardiac impairment but as a result of non availability of primary health care services.

Going by the policies the health insurance idea is a reliable breakthrough to end the perennial problem of resources faced by marginalised and poor section of society. To attain this goal there should be well managed health care infrastructure to cater health care.

Need

Decreasing government resources and increasing demand of health services over the past-decades have demanded well managed village health posts to operate primary health care services. Till date, there are no explicit guiding principles for strengthening the health posts set up in each nook and carner of the country. A variety of announcement slogans have been brought into limelight in order to provide primary health care to the door step of the people since last 24 years. Health programmes must balance the growing need to generate primary health care opportunities to all the target groups. In our context, priority should be accorded in providing basic health services. It is high time to ponder over the bleak scenario of jeopardised situation of public health.

National Interest: Sine Qua Non For Resolution

By Hum Lal Bhattarai

AFTER the royal proclamation of October 4th that retracted all the executive powers of the state back to the crown, various postulations have emerged in the sphere of Nepalese politics. On the one hand, some political parties are alleging the king of infringing the constitution, but on the other the king's act has been viewed with a nod of acquiescence that appropriately responded to the urge of the people.
While recounting the assertions uttered vis-a-vis the interpretation of this constitution, the rationale and scope behind the articles 27(3) and 35(1) in conjunction with 127 ought not to be belittled in undermining of any particle of the constitution. Besides, the tendency of describing the constitution at one's convenience can never convey its genuine message to the nation. Being so, the October 4 move of the King cannot be termed unconstitutional, as he had no options.

Whatever divergent stipulations have appeared in the national political scenario, one thing should be and has almost been acknowledged unanimously that the nation is compelled to pass through serious crises. Apart from penury and unemployment being on the rise, heart-breaking scenes of merciless carnage and bloodshed among the compatriots are up. If a prudent and efficacious turn is not followed immediately, our nation is sure to plunge into a ghastly abyss.

That the plight of the present cannot be overcome by the efforts of a single side has completely been transpired. So the political entities having strong influence in the realm of the state should strive to imbue themselves with the feeling of true patriotism and democracy. In fact, a stern ordeal has cropped up to test them whether they are bonafide lovers of the nation, whether they possess the attributes of shamless dedication to the people, whether they are disposed to redeem their national obligation and whether their devotion to the tenets of democracy is devoid of ostentation.

Setting aside their petty interests and displaying the gestures of magnanimity, they should join hands to seek a remedy that will rid the nation of the intolerable and suffocating agony. What we should deem the most imperative is the solution acceptable to all. It can be achieved through negotiations, backed by elan and cooperation among the entities of national politics, but not through lambasting and excoriating each other.

If we are agree on the fact that poverty, unemployment and ignorance are our long-standing foes and are obstructing the pace of development, then why we cannot prepare ourselves jointly to vanquish them? What are the obstacles that have prevented us from giving up the desire for small time profit?
For this we should let the national interests prevail on top. Our long-term attempts should be focused on promoting the conditions of paramount welfare through a just system of social, economic and political life, and preventing the available resources and means of the country from being concentrated within a limited section of society through the equitable distribution system of economic gains on the basis of social justice. Establishing a healthy social life, eliminating all types of economic and social inequalities and maintaining the provisions conducive to the enjoyment of the fruits of democracy should be our cherished targets. Similarly, we should also be adhered to the protection and promotion of human rights, the enhancement of the national dignity in the international arena and the institutionalisation of peace.

While we are supposed to satisfy such type of noble needs of the nation for our multifarious and substantial development, should we let even a drop of blood issue from the body of our fellow countrymen any more? Should we not embrace each other for the attainment of these lofty goals that boost national interest stance? If we answer in the affirmative, certainly our posterity will thank us for our discreetful deed.