Kathmandu, May 9:

Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel today held a formal meeting with the women’s peace talks team at the ministry and discussed common issues related to women and women’s issues to be incorporated in the second amendment to the interim constitution.

The nine-member talks team submitted a six-point agenda to the government talks team headed by minister Poudel. The agenda include: issues to be incorporated in the second amendment to the interim constitution, implementation of the revived parliament’s resolution that requires 33 per cent representation of women in all state structures, women’s representation in all talks teams already formed by the government and the others to be formed in the future such as High-level Truth and Reconciliation Commission, National Peace and Reconstruction Commission and High-level Commission for the Recommendation of State Reconstruction.

The talks team members said there should be proportional representation of women in all commissions and committees formed by the government.

They also demanded that the National Women’s Commission be given a constitutional status. All the political parties must choose women candidates in the constituent assembly election as per the principle of social justice and principle of social inclusion, they said in the six-point demand.

At the end of the meeting, Poudel said the government had received vital suggestions to make democracy more inclusive and participatory. He said they realised the fact that they required more discussion before reaching any conclusion and the government talks team would also hold consultations with other women’s groups, including Madhesi Women Struggle Group, next week.

The women activists participating in today’s meeting included Sharada Pokharel, Durga Sob, Mandira Sharma, Shobha Gautam, Stela Tamang, Kiran Yadav, Indira Chapagain, Renu Raj Bhandari and Kunda Sharma.