Kathmandu, July 13

Stakeholders have called for ensuring the rights of children right from they are in the womb to they are eight years old by incorporating it under Article 44 (3) of the draft of constitution. Article 44(3) states: Every child shall have the right to formative child development, and child participation.

At a seminar jointly organised by a group of Constituent Assembly members for early child development, Seto Gurash National Child Development Service, Lalitpur, and Save the Children today, stakeholders made deliberations on the issues of child rights incorporated in the initial draft of the constitution.

Although the Interim Constitution and national laws of Nepal incorporate many measures for the protection of children rights, lawmakers pressed for the mention of ‘every child, from in womb to eight years, is entitled to conducive environment for the optimum physical, intellectual, social and emotional development’ in Article 44 (3), dealing with the provisions related to the early development of children.

Stating that for a prosperous society, development of children is inevitable, Prakash Jwala, Chairperson of the parliamentary Finance Committee, argued that it was children’s right from womb to eight years must be ensured for their physical development.

Similarly, former lawmaker Sita Poudel stated that for the development of the country, the government should increase its investment in the education of children. Lawmakers Jivan Pariyar, Ambika Khawas Rajbanshi and Gauri Oli among others stated that family, society and the state should pay attention to early child development.

Likewise, Agatha Thapa and Madhu Rajbhandari from the organisers, shed light on concept of early child development and its importance as well as good practices and investment for the same.