Kathmandu, January 16:

Women leaders from different political parties today called on the new parliamentarians to ensure 33 per cent women representation not only in constituent assembly but at all decision making levels.

Speaking at an interaction organised by Inter-Party Women Alliance (IPWA), Uma Adhikari, central committee member of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) said women were often sidelined from the mainstream politics though they had achieved what men couldn’t have in social and economic sectors. “The number of women parliamentarians has gone up to 13 from 12 in past 17 years and this proves that there won’t be any change in our life until women get respectable position in politics,” she said.

Nepali Congress leader Mina Pandey accused the political parties of not being generous enough to provide rights to women. “Without change in patriarchal mindset of political leaders, it is difficult to strike a balance between men and women at all levels,” she said. Suprava Ghimire, president of IPWA pressed for wom-en’s involvement in every sector of state mechanism. She said the presence of young faces in recently formed parliament was encouraging.