Kathmandu, July 27

Dr Renu Adhikari Rajbhandari, founder and chairperson of Women’s Rehabilitation Centre, was felicitated on Monday for her appointment as a member of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery for a first term, effective from July 2015. She has been appointed till December 2016.

A programme was organised by WOREC and National Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders, in coordination with Women Forum for Women in Nepal, Loom Nepal, Nepal Disabled Women Association and Mitini Nepal on Monday in Kathmandu to felicitate her. The UN General Assembly in its resolution 46/122 established United Nations Voluntary Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery on December 17, 1991 for the purpose of receiving voluntary contributions for distribution, through established channels, of assistance, humanitarian, legal and financial aid to individuals whose human rights have been severely violated as a result of contemporary forms of slavery.

Speaking at the programme, representatives of different networks and organisations, including NAWHRD, AATWIN, Men Engage Alliance and Shakti Samuha, among others, appreciated Dr Rajbhandari’s work and advocacy for women’s rights and congratulated her for new responsibility. Dr Rajbhandari expressed happiness for the recognition of her hard work and said that this has encouraged her to work with more dedication in the coming days.

A graduate of Moscow Medical Institute, Dr Rajbhandari started her professional career as a medical doctor and served in different remote hospitals of Nepal for more than 11 years.

However, after an encounter with a trafficked woman in 1991, she got drawn into the field of women’s right, particularly against trafficking of women and children.

Since then, she has strongly advocated for the rights of women and marginalised groups, and has managed to play a role of catalyst to organise 12 self-representative groups, including Shakti Samuha and WOFOWON, among others. As the representative of women’s rights group, she has served as the adviser at the Gender-Based Violence unit at the office of the Prime Minister. Similarly, she had been a driving force to establish national rapporteur against trafficking office within National Human Right Commission and bring national plan of action against trafficking.