Kathmandu, August 16:

Indigenous women activists today said that neither the indigenous women nor the Jana Andolan-II had demanded 33 per cent reservation for women.

Speaking at an interaction organised by the All-Nepal Indigenous Journalists, the women said the government announcement of providing 33 per cent reservation for women does not address the concerns of the indigenous women.

“The announcement was made as per the demands made by the ‘feminists’, who are mostly from the so-called high castes,” said Dr Chunda Bajracharya, an indigenous activist.

According to her, the right to self-determination, language, promotion of indigenous skills and technology, not 33 per cent reservation, were the major concerns of the indigenous women.

“The issues facing the indigenous women are different from that of other women,” she said, adding, “For instance, property rights was never our issue as a Newar woman inherits property of her mother while the son inherits the property of his father,” she said.

“All government decisions are made on the basis of Hindu norms,” she said, adding, “Such decisions won’t be relevant to the indigenous women. We want modifications in the national policies towards the indigenous people. We want their inclusion in policy-making bodies.”

Sumaya Rai, a member of the Kirant Yayokha, said, “Rather than 33 per cent reservation for women in general, there should be a proportional representation of all the castes.”

Stating that the government hastily took the decision on reservation, she said the Federation of Indigenous Women had been demanding a 40 per cent reservation.

She also pointed out the need to form an alliance of the Federation of Indigenous Women and the Federation of Indigenous People so that the goal of sanctioning 40 per cent reservation could be realised easily.