Kathmandu, September 28 Deputy Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh expressed Nepal’s commitment to achieve gender equality with the provisions in the newly adopted constitution of Nepal. While addressing the United Nations global leaders meeting on ‘Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: A Commitment to Action’ co-hosted by People’s Republic of China and UN Women, the deputy PM and minister for Local Development and Federal Affairs expressed Nepal government’s commitment to achieve gender equality. According to a press statement issued here today by Saathi, some 80 heads of state and government convened at the UN meeting where they pledged to end discrimination against women by 2030 and adopt concrete and measurable actions to kick-start rapid change in their countries. It said the commitments ranged from issues addressing the most pressing barriers for women, such as increasing investment in gender equality, reaching parity for women at all levels of decision-making, eliminating discriminatory legislation and addressing social norms that perpetuate discrimination and violence against women. Bandana Rana, one of the two civil society speakers from Nepal called upon the leaders to position gender equality at the core of development priorities and to critically address women’s economic rights, women’s and girl’s participation in decision making, including in peace building and the elimination of violence against all women and girls. Rana, president of Saathi and the member of the UNWomen Global Civil Society Advisory Group said, “Despite government obligations to international gender equality agreements in the last 15 years, no country has achieved the equality conditions necessary for women and girls to live their lives fully, freely and securely.” She further said that for the Post 2015 development agenda to be truly transformative, it must transform the lives of women and girls by positioning gender equality at the core of development priorities. “This includes, but is not limited to women’s economic rights, women’s and girl’s participation in decision making, including in peace building, and the elimination of violence against all women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices which are elementary for transformational change that this agenda sets out to achieve,” she said.