POKHARA: Participants in a programme on Thursday in Pokhara concluded that governmental and non-governmental agencies, along with civil society members, needed to unite to avert exploitation and violence against girls and women that was rampant in society.

The participants today announced the Pokhara Declaration aiming to safeguard children, young girls and women and to ensure their fundamental rights.

Madhav Pradhan CWIN chairperson said that all the stakeholders required to be more alert to end gender discrimination, disparity in education, malnutrition, sexual violence, child marriage, dowry system, domestic violence and child trafficking, among others.

Participants at the interaction agreed that violence in the name of street life, tradition, culture, drug abuse, misuse of means of communication such as mobile phone and internet, orthodox social taboos, early marriage, foreign employment etc are said to be key factors responsible for such violence.

“Though various efforts to prevent violence were initiated in the past, they were not enough and many of them were not right-centric. Rather, they were related to generosity,” claimed the representatives of civil society and right activists of 11 districts.

Sushil Mainali, a representative of Nepal Forum of Environment Journalists said all the participants vowed to implement past commitments agreed among political leaders, their youth organisations civil society and rights activists on violence.

They also underscored the need to increase investment in girls’ education, work to change parents’ attitude and include pragmatic aspects in classroom teaching.

Hem Poudel, Proramme Coordinator, at Plan Nepal opined that measures to control violence have to be launched in the school curriculum. They urged governmental and non-governmental organisations to bring all past declarations and commitments into action.

Rashmila Shakya, Coordinator of Balika Shakti National Coordination Committee, said they have agreed to launch capacity enhancement programmes from local to district, regional and central level. They also agreed to pressure the government to implement the law.

As a large number of children, girls and women have been affected due to the recent earthquakes, the upcoming budget should address the needs of victims, they appealed to the government.