Bhaktapur, March 8:

Marking the 96th International Women’s Day, Nepal Revolutionary Women’s Association (NRWA), Bhaktapur District Committee, today organised a protest rally with empty pitchers and jerry cans and gheraod the Drinking Water Supply Corporation (DWSC), Bhaktapur, according to a press statement issued here today.

Bhaktapur needs 10 million litres of water everyday, however, the corporation is only able to supply 2.5 million litres, the statement said.

A sit-in protest organised under the leadership of central member of NRWA, Shova Pradhan, submitted a memorandum to Chandra Kanta Marhatta, chief of DWSC, demanding sufficient drinking water and asking the government to take back the hike in the price of petroleum products.

The memorandum also demanded that the corporation make preparations months ahead instead before facing actual water shortage. Marhatta, on behalf of the corporation, expressed his commitment to consider the memorandum that not only pointed out the problems but also offered suggestions to solve them, the statement said.

Meanwhile, as part of the 96th International Women’s Day, the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) today handed out the ‘Women Empowerment Award’ to two journalists for their news coverage on women.

Twelve organisations were also felicitated for filling up more than a third of their staff quota with women.

State minister for Physical Planning and Works, Brijesh Kumar Gupta, addressing the programme, said: “The government is committed to ensuring equality in the public service. We are working to adopt positive discrimination for women in the public services.” Assistant minister for MoWCSW, Golchhe Sarki, said though some progress has been made in empowering women, lot more needed to be done. Women’s participation is important at all the levels, he added.

Aarati Chataut of Nepal Television and Sharada Sharma of Yugbodh Dainik, Tribhuvan Municipality, Dang, received the Women Empowerment Award.

Also on the occasion of the 96th International Women’s Day, a white ribbon campaign was started to end violence against girls, boys, women and other men, according to a statement issued by Pro Public here today.

The campaign believes that men and young boys must be a part of the gender equality movement.

Though men and boys are part of the problem, they are a major part of the solution too, the campaign statement issued today said.