KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 12
Lawmakers appreciated the government's move to amend the Nepal Citizenship Act to address the problems faced by children of citizen by birth and children of single mothers whose fathers are untraced.
Speaking at an interaction organised by Forum for Women Law and Development (FWLD) here today, and Whip of Nepali Congress in the House of Representatives Sushila Thing said that Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak played the role of a guardian for stateless children as the bill sought to address the problems of eligible citizens.
She said that children suffer when fathers do not certify details of their children's citizenship application as they fear that children would claim a share in his property after obtaining citizenship certificates.
Lawmaker Sushila Sirpali Thakuri said that citizenship issues concerned everybody and all political parties- should join hands to pass the Nepal Citizenship Act (Second Amendment) Bill without being divided on party lines.
She said that children who grew up in orphanage were getting it mentioned in their citizenship certificates that their parents were not traced that was humiliating for them.
I know some children who grew up in orphanages or now studying medicine. They feel humiliated it is mentioned in their citizenship certificates that their parents were untraced. They want it to be mentioned their citizenship certificates that they do not want to reveal identity of their parents," she added.
Nepali Congress Lawmaker Kantika Sejuwal said that it was necessary to give equal rights to women on matters of citizenship.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party lawmaker Roshan Karki also said that it would not be proper to mention in the citizenship that the applicants' parents were not traced.
Citizenship certificates should just mention that father's identity was not revealed, she added. Lawmaker Pratikshya Tiwari said that she found that Mushahars (Dalits) in Siraha district living stateless for three generations. She said the bill must try to address Mushahars' problems.
Earlier, Advocate Binu Lama said although ensuring equal rights for women on matters of citizenship required amendment to the constitution her FWLD welcomed the recent citizenship amendment Bill as it aimed to addressing many problems that eligible citizens are facing at present. She said the bill also took care of the interest of 17 per cent children who were living with single parent (mothers).
Lama who represented Civil Society Network for Citizenship Rights in Nepal, made a presentation before CEDAW Committee members in Geneva recently saying that Nepali laws continue to discriminate against women on issues of citizenship. She had told CEDAW Committee members that Nepal needed to end all forms of discrimination against women on matters of citizenship.
Advocate Sushma Gautam told the interaction with lawmakers about the key provisions contained in the citizenship bill. She said the bill also aims to address the problems faced by children of citizens by birth particularly dose children whose one parent died before obtaining Nepali citizenship or who were not in contact with the family. The bill seeks to address the problems faced by Nepali migrant women workers who give birth to children in foreign countries but the fathers of those children are untraced.
Gautam said the bill also proposed to give citizenship to those children who do not wish to mention the name and address of their fathers in the citizenship certificates.
The bill also seeks to address the concern of those children who know the name of their fathers but who do not have any other documents.
Senior Advocate Meera Dhungana said that the bill failed to address the problems of those Nepali migrant workers who were sexually exploited in Nepal and sent migrant workers to foreign countries where they gave birth to their children.
