Lalitpur, July 13

Rights activists have demanded amendment to the draft constitution, saying it has failed to ensure women’s rights.

The common campaign for women friendly constitution, an initiative by women rights activists representing various organsiations, today said at a programme organised by Sancharika Samuha that the draft constitution has failed to incorporate the rights that were ensured in the Interim Constitution and that it had done injustice to women. The programme was organised to collect suggestions from people from different sectors on various issues.

Women rights activists demanded that ‘ending patriarchy’ must be incorporated in the preamble. They also said that the provision on citizenship is also discriminatory.  Both men and women should be treated as free Nepali citizens, and citizenship by descent should be issued to their children on either of the parents’ name who is a Nepali citizen, said the activists. “If 51 per cent of the total population is asking for equality in citizenship, the discriminatory provision must be changed,” said Nirmala Sharma, president, Sancharika Samuha.

Advocate Sabin Shrestha said the constitution must mention ‘reproductive health right’ to ensure all kinds of sexual and reproductive rights to women. “There has been play of to curtail the rights of women. All concerned must press for ensuring equal rights to women,” he said. The rights activists said that the preliminary draft of the new constitution has ensured of at least 33 per cent participation of women in the upper and lower houses, but there is no guarantee of 40 per cent women participation in local bodies.

“Without participation of women in the local level, the concept of equal participation in every sector is not possible,” said Shrestha. The common campaign for women friendly constitution includes various organisation including Sancharika Samuha, Sathi and Feminist Dalit Organisation among others.