The Asian Development Bank (ADB), by agreeing to provide Nepal a loan of $10 million to be utilised under the project relating to Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women is expected to upgrade and uplift the socio-economic condition of the poor rural women. The assistance aims to reduce poverty by targeting rural women and the disadvantaged groups like the ethnics and the so-called low caste women in the 15 most backward districts of the mid-west, far-west and central regions of Nepal.

Women’s role during the Jana Andolan was doubtless significant and the new government, by agreeing to provide 33 per cent reservation to women at all levels of government, has tried to translate its political commitment by creating an all-inclusive system of governance. Though the HoR proposal has been passed, it cannot be effectively applied unless it is given the shape of a law. All the available resources, including foreign packages, should be properly utilised to include women at the decision-making level. In the particular case of the Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women project, the implementors of the programmes need to include representatives of the target beneficiaries in project designing and use of resources. Since the ADB loan will have to be repaid, the intended beneficiaries must know as to who is providing how much to whom and for what purpose. Lastly, all the transactions should be made transparent, or else they will again be open to misuse by those in positions of power.