KATHMANDU, JUNE 10

Minister of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Chanda Chaudhary has asked the government and stakeholders to work in unison to secure the welfare of vulnerable groups such as women, children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities.

Stating that COVID-19 had adversely impacted the economy and trade, Minister Chaudhary stressed the need to launch skill-based livelihood programmes for women to link them with businesses and enterprises. She said the government should help such women find capital and market to start or resume enterprises.

At a virtual programme organised by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries here today, the minister stated that women, children, senior citizens and people with disabilities were mostly bearing the brunt of the pandemic.

Similarly, UN Committee member on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women Bandana Rana said of those losing their jobs during the pandemic, women constituted 70 per cent.

United Insurance's CEO Upasana Poudel underlined the need to provide psycho-social counselling to staffers facing psychological predicament during the pandemic.

NABIL Bank's CEO Anil Shah emphasised collaboration among the government, private sector and non-government sector to offset the impact of COVID-19 on the national economy.

Vice-president of CNI Nirvana Chaudhary stressed the issue of health security. 'Challenges of health security facing Nepalis in this pandemic cannot be undermined,' he argued.

A version of this article appears in the print on June 11, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.