The Interim Constitution enshrines gender equality. Article 33 (4) of the Directive Principles of State Policy states that no discrimination shall be made on the basis of caste, class, religion, gender, language, culture or region. In order to address the problems faced by Dalits, Adibashis, Janajatis, Madhesis, women and other marginalised communities, the state will follow policies of inclusion and democratic governance. If policies are formulated on this line and implemented sincerely, they will go a long way in empowering the vulnerable sections of the society. Women in particular stand to gain a lot. Already, the historic House of Representatives’ declaration of May 30, 2006, which guaranteed proportionate representation for women at all levels of governance, among others, has been described as a progressive step towards guarantying women’s rights. As per the proposal, there would be 33 per cent job reservation for women in the public offices.

But there are other issues on the table too, like the one on domestic violence and property rights. More importantly, those past policies formulated to help the rural women are yet to be implemented. The lack of interest in women’s issues among our parliamentarians is a product of a patriarchal mindset, whereby women are still subjected to sexual harassment, rape and torture of other sorts. It is still a taboo for women to get out of their homes and compete in the mainstream. This exploitation can stop only if society is made more aware of women’s rights and the culprits appropriately punished. To bring about meaningful changes in the life of women, the attitude of the people who believe women are inherently inferior to men need to undergo a radical change. People need to realise that superiority can be judged only on the basis of individual talent and abilities, not on the basis of gender.

But there are some women who are convinced that reservation is the right way to help the womenfolk achieve their goals. They argue that reservation of seats in various institutions would at least give women a platform to demonstrate their capabilities. This is true to a certain extent. Even CEDAW recommends reservation only till such a time when women are self-reliant. There is no doubt that participation in governance is vital to women’s equality. But the question is: Do women want quantitative or qualitative representation? Given the fact that the majority of the Nepali women are illiterate, reservation would ensure only quantitative presence. It has to be borne in mind that whatever the women have been able to achieve so far is largely the result of efforts of a few brave ones, including a handful of women politicians and activists.

Instead of fighting endlessly for more seats, rights activists and women MPs, on their part, should put pressure on the government to strengthen enforcement mechanism. The focus should be on a long-term strategy. In this regard, women-centric projects, programmes, awareness campaigns and trainings are essential. The government should formulate an action plan that aims at elevating the living standards of the women struggling in the remote corners. Besides education, vocational training and cottage industries should be promoted. Overall, the women’s issues sho-uld be incorporated in the state’s socio-economic age-nda. The activists in general must work towards this end.