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07 March 2022
(अ)समावेशी विकास a podcast that highlights the need for accessible infrastructures for persons with disabilities
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Story
28 February 2022
संविधानले स्वीकार्यो, हामीले कहिले? a podcast on the experience of Dalit women politicians prepared by the participants of 'Podcasting Workshop For Youth’
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Press Release
27 January 2022
International Holocaust Remembrance Day marked in Nepal
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13 October 2020
Supporting Most Vulnerable Migrant Returnees to Meet Immediate Needs
Pabitra Jimba, (31) from Makawanpur District had been in foreign employment for over six years and had been able to support her family back home before she lost her most recent job in the United Arab Emirates to COVID 19. She had been stranded in that country for five months without job before she returned to Nepal in mid-July. She purchased flight tickets on her own as no one – the employer, host and home governments – provided her with support.
Similarly, 27-year-old Sarita BK (name changed), originally from Morang district was on her way to Kuwait in March via India but was caught up by the nation-wide lockdown in India and got stuck there for next four months. Unaware that she was travelling undocumented without a work permit, she managed to arrive in Kathmandu in early July with support from various organizations and her relatives. She is a divorcee and is the sole breadwinner of her three-member family.
Those are only examples of vulnerable Nepali returnee migrants hard-hit by the COVID 19 pandemic.
According to the Government of Nepal, COVID 19 Crisis Management Committee (CCMC), a total of 51,441 Nepali migrants have been repatriated from abroad as of 14 August. According to various sources, an estimated 127,000 Nepalis abroad were in need of immediate assistance and 450,000 migrants excluding those working in India are projected to lose their jobs. This leaves migrants’ families facing the risks and acute consequences of not being able to afford basic needs such as food, education, health and nutrition.
With hundreds of thousands of Nepalis back home, and those working in India also losing their jobs and 500,000 Nepali youth entering labour market every year, Nepal’s unemployed population is set to be unprecedented.
Nepal, where contribution of remittances to GDP in 2019 was equivalent to 27.3 per cent, lost nearly 50 per cent of remittances in April and May compared to the same period last year according to the Nepal Rashtra Bank, the country’s central bank’s report published in May 2020. This clearly indicates that the socioeconomic effects of the crisis in Nepal are expected to be devastating to its national economy and the overall achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Under these circumstances, the road ahead for the returnee migrants like Pabitra and Sarita does not look an easy one as the Government of Nepal faces a big challenge of reintegrating returnee migrant workers in the national labour market. This requires a comprehensive plan for the creation of employment opportunities, matching skills and interests of returnees as well as needs of the national economy.
In order to meet the immediate needs of the returnee migrants like Pabitra and Sarita, a total of 97 (89 female and 8 male) returnee migrants have received direct assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as of 31 July 2020 under an initiative supported by the United Nations Secretary General’s COVID Response Fund.
The underlying economic and social vulnerabilities of Nepal are further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country-wide lockdown, global economic disruptions and resulting impact on global value chains, plus restrictions in global travel and trade are already severely impacting Nepal’s economy and people’s livelihoods. Those most impacted persons include migrants, both internal and returning from abroad; informal sector workers; and workers in the tourism industry. These sectors are large contributors to Nepal’s GDP. The loss of income is felt at individual and household levels, raising concerns about the means to meet essential daily expenditure including food.
In order to meet the emergency needs of the people and to help Nepal build back better, the United Nations provided the UN Secretary General COVID Response Fund to Nepal. The fund will also provide immediate livelihood support and reintegrate the most affected community into employment. The aim of the fund is also to alleviate potential social consequences of a desperate economic situation, including suicide and other negative coping methods such as child labour or child marriage. The fund focused on persons who have the least means of managing external shocks also aims to prevent the loss of development gains among the most vulnerable persons in Nepal.
The UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund is jointly executed by ILO, IOM, UNDP and UNESCO in Nepal.
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Press Release
03 December 2020
Oped : The challenges people with disabilities face
Richard Howard
The year 2020 has thrown unprecedented challenges at all of us, both in Nepal and globally. The pandemic has also impacted people disproportionally. Persons with disabilities that make up 15 percent of the world population, or one billion, are among the hardest hit by Covid-19. One in every five women is likely to experience disability in her life, while one in every 10 children is living with a disability. Of the one billion population of persons with disabilities, 80 percent live in developing countries. These numbers provide a backdrop for thinking about our response to Covid-19 and how we make a dedicated effort to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind. We must ensure their inclusion in our response and recovery efforts.
Some disabilities are not visible. Chronic pain, mental illness, chronic fatigue are a few types of invisible disabilities that control people’s lives but do not show in obvious ways. These are people who are regularly told that their disabilities are not real, are made up for sympathy or only imagined and could not possibly be a real medical condition since they walk free from canes or crutches, have functioning limbs, and can seemingly move their bodies just like the rest of us. Society needs to be built so that it is accessible to everyone, including those with less visible disabilities.
Nepali society, like most societies, should promote greater understanding and increased accessibility for people with disabilities, who are often treated differently or excluded from the opportunities and conversations open to others. They are pressed to navigate a world that is not built for them. Kindness, compassion and consideration are a good start to ensure that we see and support those who may struggle and suffer in normal times and in times of crisis.
When this pandemic passes, the world must be a different place, and it is a chance to reimagine a society in which people with disabilities have better lives; where they do not have to fight to be seen and included, and where they are not merely an afterthought. People with disabilities should participate in our response and recovery from Covid-19 at all stages, and they should hold us accountable to deliver on our promises.
On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I hope that we can all begin to envision a society that everyone can participate in, one that changes how we see and interact with disabilities as equal partners, particularly those with invisible disabilities. It is a chance to build back better and challenge inequalities at every step.
A big step in the right direction is to break the silence, speak up and wipe away the biases held against people with disabilities, to banish the stereotypes, and slowly dissipate the stigma facing people with disabilities. These changes start with each of us making a commitment. There are myriad ways in which the world can transform to remove obstacles for people with disabilities to access the opportunities the rest have, from access to economic opportunity and healthy workspaces to accessible infrastructure and health services.
Richard Howard
Howard is the UN Resident Coordinator ad interim in Nepal and is the Director of ILO Nepal
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12 October 2020
Young Girls in rural Nepal are choosing early marriage to escape poverty and discrimination
The zinc sheet roofs, mud huts and wooden pillars of Namuna Basti shows poverty reigns. Namuna Basti is a labyrinth of lanes with 55 closely packed housing units inhabited by impoverished Badi community- the poorest and most marginalized groups (Dalits) in Nepal who are also considered the “untouchables”. It lies just out of eyesight from the nearest bigger town in the Karnali Province. In the community, young women with children are a common sight. About 90 percent of the women from Namuna Basti are married before the age of 20, which speaks to the alarming prevalence of child marriage here.
An Arial view of Namuna Basti.
Child marriage in Nepal is driven by a complex web of factors., Key among them is caste-based and gender-based discrimination, especially when combined with poverty.
In Nepal’s rural communities, parents often choose marriage for girls because, once married, daughters customarily leave their homes to enter into their husbands’ household and cannot financially support their parents like their sons. It leads families to prioritize education and even basic survival needs, such as food, for boys over girls, which is one of the reasons why child brides and their children are more likely to be malnourished.
Due to the existence of a deeply embedded patriarchal norms and unequal power relations, Nepal has a high prevalence of deeply-rooted traditional practices such as caste-based discrimination, chhaupadi and menstrual restrictions, child marriage, dowry, and witchcraft accusation and persecution. These practices often create significant barriers to the realization of human rights, particularly for women and persons from excluded groups. Despite significant advances in legislative and policy frameworks made over the past few years, these practices continue to pervade in Nepal.
In 2018, in recognition of these practices being barriers to realizing the UN’s commitments to Agenda 2030 and the principle of Leaving No One Behind, the United Nations Country Team in Nepal with the support of DCO innovation funds carried out a Perception Survey on five of the above-mentioned practices. The survey, conducted in 16 districts within Province 2, 6 and 7 covering 4,000 respondents, was led by the United Nations Resident Coordinators Office in Nepal.
Rama (name changed), a 22-year-old girl from Namuna Basti was born into a Badi family. Due to poverty her parents could not afford her education. She started working in India as a full-time maid at the age of 13.
She had to spend more than 12 hours a day doing household chores, and she was desperately looking for an escape from her everyday hardship. With the hope to live a better life, seven years ago, she married the person she loved at the age of 15, despite the minimum age requirement for marriage being 20 years old under the Nepali Law. Her husband was 25
Rama’s husband belonged to the so called “upper-caste” Kshetriyas (also called Chhetris). In Nepal, the influence of caste — a social order rooted in Hindu scriptures and based on an identity determined at birth — cannot be disregarded.
In the perception of caste hierarchy, Brahmins and Chhetris remain at the top and Dalits, who make up almost 13.6 percent of Nepal’s population of more than 27.33 Million, are at the bottom. Due to this perceived hierarchy, discrimination based on caste remains pervasive. From the Perception Survey carried out by the UN, among the 4,000 respondents from 16 districts, 97% indicated that they have accepted the prevalence of caste-based discrimination in their locality.
Following their marriage, Rama returned to Nepal with her husband and began living with her in-laws. Being a Dalit woman, Rama was at high risk of experiencing both caste- and gender-based discrimination at her husband’s house. Fortunately, however, Rama’s husband protected her and facilitated her to be accepted as a member of the family.
Rama became pregnant almost immediately after her marriage. Knowing that pregnancy could be risky for Rama at her young age, her husband insisted to abort the baby. But she remained adamant and gave birth to their first child when she was just 16.
Within just five years of her marriage, her life took an unexpected turn, when a tragic road accident killed her husband.
Following the death of her husband, her in-laws began verbally abusing her and forced her to work endlessly. Rama left her husband’s house along with her children and began living with her mother in Namuna Basti.
Rama is now a 22-year-old widow and is a sole bread winner for her family. With poverty, lack of education and discrimination based on her caste that she faces every day, giving a decent life to her children is a constant struggle.
In the same Basti, Seema Badi (name changed) lives two houses apart from Rama. Seema, just like Rama, is a child bride who chose to get married on her own. She eloped with her boyfriend, who was two-class senior to her in school, when she just became a teenager.
Her mother initially brought Seema back from her boyfriend’s house and asked her to focus on her education and wait until she gained some maturity. To her mother’s dismay, Seema left the house for the second time to be with her boyfriend.
And what drove her to do that?
“To escape from poverty, discriminatory social norms and a desire to avoid a forced marriage to a stranger” was her answer.
“My mother was giving birth every other year. I had to support her either by babysitting my siblings or supporting the household chores. At school, I faced discrimination from my peers and my teachers for being a ‘Badi girl’” lamented Seema.
Recalling one of the incidents in school she said, “one day a big commotion took place in my class when I accidently touched my classmate’s tiffin box. Since she belonged to the upper-caste, my teacher thrashed me in front of my peers. That very moment, I lost faith in our education system and I tore my books in front of my teacher and left the class. I never returned to the class again.”
Seema, who is 21 and a mother of an 8-year-old girl, shares she is content with her present life. Her husband is working in the gulf country to make the ends meet for the family and pay for their daughter’s education.
“Together Forever” says Seema with happiness as she shows the initials of her husband and daughter's name inked on her left hand.
She however feels she could have achieved more had she listened to her mother and not eloped for the second time. But the societal pressure was one of the factors that constrained her from staying with her mother. “The rumor about me eloping with my boyfriend has already spread in the community. So, the only choice I had was to go back to the person I love because no one would have accepted me as a wife later,” shared Seema.
Seema does not want her daughter to repeat her same mistakes. She wants to invest in her daughter’s education so that her daughter can achieve her full potential. But the growing trend of voluntary “love marriages” among teenage children in marginalized communities, often prompted by the desire to escape poverty and discrimination, scares Seema.
Seema’s fear is not unfounded. The Perception Survey showed that 90% of the 4,000 respondents acknowledge that voluntary love marriage (Bhagi Bibaha) among minors is prevalent in their locality, while 19% indicated the continued prevalence of an arranged marriage (Magi Bibaha) among minors.
According to UNICEF, 15 million girls are married as children globally each year and Nepal has the third highest rate of child marriage in Asia, after Bangladesh and India.
The trend of young girls like Seema and Rama choosing early love marriage to cope with poverty and discrimination not only exposes them to a vicious cycle of inequality and insecurity, but also perpetuates the practice of child marriage, creating an obstacle to global development.
A 19-year-old girl from Dailekh district with her two children.
Child marriage is a core development and human rights issue which is directly linked with eight of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are Goals 1 (poverty), 2 (food security), 3 (health), 4 (education), 5 (gender equality), 8 (economic growth), 10 (inequality), and 16 (peace). Ending child marriage and investing more into the child’s future is therefore an indispensable responsibility of Nepal to ensure that it fully achieves the SDGs.
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Story
07 March 2022
(अ)समावेशी विकास a podcast that highlights the need for accessible infrastructures for persons with disabilities
According to the Census 2068, about 2 percent of Nepal's population has some form of disability. The World Health Organization estimates that about 15 percent of the world’s population, one billion people, have some form of disability, and that 80 percent of those with disabilities live in less developed countries, such as Nepal. But Nepal’s public infrastructures, from villages in Rolpa to the seats of power at Singha Durbar remain inaccessible to the people with disability in Nepal.
This episode, produced by Sinja Raut, Shristi Shakya and Sujita Dhakal, explores how the years of disability rights activism in Nepal has led the government to practical and policy measures to make public offices accessible to people with disability. While the government has taken steps to install ramps and lifts at different ministries, policies, such as The Act Relating to Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2074, have not translated into action.
This podcast was produced as part of ‘Podcasting 101: Podcasting For Youth’ workshop, organized by the United Nations in Nepal on the occasion of International Human Rights Day 2021.
This episode, produced by Sinja Raut, Shristi Shakya and Sujita Dhakal, explores how the years of disability rights activism in Nepal has led the government to practical and policy measures to make public offices accessible to people with disability. While the government has taken steps to install ramps and lifts at different ministries, policies, such as The Act Relating to Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2074, have not translated into action.
This podcast was produced as part of ‘Podcasting 101: Podcasting For Youth’ workshop, organized by the United Nations in Nepal on the occasion of International Human Rights Day 2021.
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Story
28 February 2022
संविधानले स्वीकार्यो, हामीले कहिले? a podcast on the experience of Dalit women politicians prepared by the participants of 'Podcasting Workshop For Youth’
What is it like to be a Dalit woman in Nepali politics? The representation of Dalit women in the elected office has increased over the years. But navigating the political setting rooted in caste discrimination is not free from challenges. Hear from Dalit women who have been elected to office, from local wards to the parliament, about their political journey and experiences.
This episode was produced by Deep Jyoti Shrestha, Rubina Bishunke and Vivek Baranwal.
This podcast was produced as part of ‘Podcasting 101: Podcasting Workshop For Youth’ workshop, organized by the United Nations in Nepal on the occasion of International Human Rights Day 2021.
This episode was produced by Deep Jyoti Shrestha, Rubina Bishunke and Vivek Baranwal.
This podcast was produced as part of ‘Podcasting 101: Podcasting Workshop For Youth’ workshop, organized by the United Nations in Nepal on the occasion of International Human Rights Day 2021.
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Story
21 January 2022
40% of Nepal’s total population now fully vaccinated against COVID-19
This coverage milestone puts the country on track for meeting further global vaccination targets set by the World Health Organization.
In May 2021, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, set three global vaccination targets: 10% inoculation of the population of every country by September, 40% by the end of 2021, and 70% by mid-2022.
Nearly 28 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been safely administered in Nepal till date; achieving 52% first dose coverage and 40% second dose or full vaccination coverage among the total population. Similarly, the first dose and second dose coverage for the 18 and above target group is 71% and 61% respectively. COVID-19 vaccination for all adolescents in the 12-17 years age group has also started recently in 60 out of 77 districts. The campaign will be expanded to the remaining districts soon.
“Nepal has been able to achieve this feat due to high political and financial commitment from the Government of Nepal. The country’s prior successful experience with running large-scale immunization programs also bolstered the rapid roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Credit also goes to the dedicated health workers who have toiled hard during challenging times and have battled difficult terrain to ensure people living in even the most remote areas of the country have access to COVID-19 vaccines,” Dr Vinod Bura, Team Lead of Immunization Preventable Diseases Programme (IPD) at WHO, Country Office for Nepal, said.
Nepal launched the COVID-19 vaccination campaign on 27 January 2021. In the first phase of the rollout, vaccination was provided to health and front-line workers as per the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP) developed with technical support from WHO, Country Office for Nepal, and other partners. Following this, people over the age of 65 were vaccinated. Nepal followed the WHO SAGE prioritization roadmap vaccinating the most high-risk and vulnerable groups at first, including refugees, prisoners, differently abled persons, as well as the population in geographically hard-to-reach areas.
WHO has provided technical support for Nepal’s COVID-19 vaccination program and advised the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) on immunization-related policies and strategies to ensure vaccine delivery with safety, quality, and efficacy. Additionally, WHO Country Office for Nepal served as a technical secretariat for the National Immunization Advisory Committee which guides and supports the overall immunization programme, including routine immunization, across the country. At the field level, WHO’s surveillance medical officers have supported the government in training, microplanning workshops, monitoring, and for surveillance of vaccine safety.
“Although we faced some challenges due to shortage of supplies mid-campaign, we have now been able to secure an adequate number of vaccine doses for the targeted population. Our focus is now on making vaccines accessible to those on the margins. We want to speed up vaccination efforts and reach the target of fully vaccinating the majority of the population in the coming months,” Dr Bibek Kumar Lal, Head of Family Welfare Division under Department of Health Services, said.
Nepal has received 8,420,600 doses as part of COVAX-AMC, 8,569,120 as COVAX dose-sharing. Nepal has also procured 5,935,400 doses through COVAX cost-sharing mechanism.
“With this achievement, Nepal is protecting more people against morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19. It means more lives will eventually be saved because of increased vaccination coverage. WHO is committed to supporting the Government of Nepal in attaining both its national goal for COVID-19 vaccination and meeting global targets,” said Dr. Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, WHO Representative to Nepal.
The Government of Nepal aims to fully vaccinate 100% of those above 18 years target group by mid-April 2022 and has outlined some key strategies in its National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccine, in order to attain this goal:
Increase COVID-19 vaccination session sites to mirror at least the total number of routine immunization session sites,
Integration of COVID-19 vaccination delivery with routine immunization sessions (where feasible and necessary),
Continuous operation of COVID-19 vaccination session sites at big/tertiary hospitals, medical schools, and points/places with high mobility at urban and densely populated areas,
Appointment of COVID-19 vaccination ambassadors to increase vaccine confidence in public,
Collaboration with medical councils, societies, associations, and professional bodies for advocacy of medical provider vaccine standardization (status check for COVID-19 vaccination as a standard medical practice),
Proactive use of mass media and social media for spreading awareness,
Improved reporting and recording of vaccination data,
Advocate for and encourage employers, educational institutions, faith-based organizations, service providers, societies, associations, businesses, corporate houses, etc., to check vaccination status of its staff and members, and refer for vaccination if unvaccinated.
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21 January 2022
Safe water in every home
Kapilvastu, Nepal: At a time when several areas in Kapilvastu District in western Nepal were reeling from an outbreak of cholera that started in the first week of October 2021, the locals of a small village – despite living in close proximity to the hotspot – were able to prevent it from spreading in their community.
This was Madarhawa, located in the Shivaraj Municipality, and the reason people here succeeded in fending off the disease?
“We were consuming clean, safe water,” says Ambika Tharu. “That’s our biggest accomplishment.”
Indeed, Ambika has been part of a wave of change that has swept through this community over the past year or so. This change has to do with water, sanitation and hygiene or WASH facilities, the restoration and revamping of which has altered lives here.
Ambika recalls how, for a long time, proper water supply had felt like a distant dream. For the 72 households in Madarhawa, handpumps had long been the only source of water. But even though there existed a Water and Sanitation Users’ Committee or WSUC, of which she was a member, the WASH situation left a lot to be desired, Ambika says.
“The handpumps were not well maintained. They didn’t have proper platforms… they were not clean,” she says.
In fact, these were among a range of issues that were identified through a preliminary assessment conducted in the community in late 2020. This formed part of efforts to improve the WASH situation in Madarhawa undertaken by the Shivaraj Municipality in coordination with UNICEF and COSDER, Gorkha.
The assessment – which comprised interactions with community members and key stakeholders to understand perceptions and practices related to WASH – also extended to spot-check examination of handpumps and latrines, and observation of water collection, storage and wastewater management practices.
When water samples were taken from randomly selected handpumps and household storage vessels to be tested – the results showed high level of contamination in terms of E.Coli.
Based on these findings, various activities were planned for following months under the programme. On one hand were the structural improvements, which included ensuring all households were connected to water supply, that these had proper platforms constructed around them, as well as better drainage systems for collecting and managing wastewater.
The existing WSUC was also reinvigorated, with members engaged in workshops to develop a Water Safety Plan that would help to guide the community’s efforts and the sustainability of the interventions going forward. In addition to this, the WSUC members also learned to test water quality for E.Coli, arsenic, free residual chlorine, iron and other parameters using ENPHO kits, and then to carry out chlorination. Households were provided bleaching powder to treat their water supply.
Thanks to these interventions, and with all households boasting access to safe, drinking water, Madarhawa was officially declared a water-safe community in early 2021, joining a growing number of communities across the country that have received this distinction. The concept of water safe communities is an initiative that UNICEF has been supporting the Government of Nepal to pilot across the country in response to the increasing concerns over water quality.
Ambika couldn’t be more pleased with her community’s achievements and for the various skills she herself has gained in the process, to be able to now contribute to the safety of the water in her own homestead.
“This has brought a lot of positive changes in our community and we’re very happy to see this.”
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Story
21 January 2022
Combating rumors and misinformation during COVID-19 emergency
Setting up a mechanism to capture and understand the source of the rumor and then quickly work towards addressing them become crucial as not doing so can lead to damaging consequences.
Realizing this fact, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), set up a call center (1115) to capture rumours and address the general public’s queries, concerns, and complaints in March 2020, just as the country was grappling with restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. WHO provided technical and financial support for the establishment of the call center based at EDCD.
Since it began operating, the call center has received over 330,000 calls. Similarly, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) recordings (which provide automated responses to frequently asked questions) have been listened to more than 112,000 times, while more than 550 rumors and misinformation have been identified, debunked, and swiftly addressed.
“The call center has played a vital role in communicating authentic and factual information about COVID-19 to the general public which has helped in combating the spread of misinformation and rumours,” said Dr Krishna Prasad Paudel, Director of EDCD.
This is how the hotline works. Once a person calls, the machine replies at the beginning. The machine asks the person to dial “1” if they wanted to learn about the disease, its signs and symptoms, transmission, and prevention. Or the caller can dial “2” to talk to a representative.
If the person dials “1” the machine then plays a recorded message, and that's that. But if a person dials “2”, the call is passed to an agent who is free to attend. The call center representative then segregates the type of query the caller has—concern, information, complaint, and rumors, etc.
New rumours are shared with a group of experts comprising WHO technical officers and EDCD officials who work collectively to provide scientific answers. These are then circulated back to the call center and to risk communication partners for further amplification of the messages.
During the surge of cases in the first and second wave, some of the most frequently asked questions were about the availability of treatment, medical supplies, lockdown, quarantine, and isolation measures. These days, representatives note, callers mostly ask about the Omicron variant and vaccination.
What began as a 6-member operation has now expanded into a team of 35 comprising representatives (responsible for answering calls) and supervisors along with an extension of the center’s role. Along with addressing rumours and misinformation, representatives are also involved in supporting case management and contact tracing.
Agents make outgoing calls to people who have tested positive, ask them about their health condition, travel history, vaccination status, etc. Nearly 400,000 people have been called for the purpose of case management. Call center representatives also support in contract tracing (CICT) by identifying people who may have been in contact with the infected people and support in breaking the chain of infection by advancing their quarantine, testing, and isolation processes.
“Receiving a call from the Ministry of Health inquiring about my condition during isolation made me feel that the government was taking care of me,” shared a COVID-19 positive person during a follow-up call from the call center.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the role of crisis communication during health emergencies. This call center is a good example of how providing timely, accurate, and verified information can help save lives. WHO is proud to support this important intervention of the Health Ministry,” said Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, WHO Representative to Nepal.
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Press Release
28 January 2022
International Holocaust Remembrance Day marked in Nepal
In Nepal, the commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day focuses on generating awareness and empowering youth to stand up for human rights, challenge discrimination and foster tolerance, solidarity, and action for lasting impact. On 26 January, as a prelude to this year’s observance, the UN, the three embassies and Yuwalaya, an organisation working for/with adolescents and youth, organized the Countering Hate Speech workshop for youth. Six dozen youth from seven provinces in Nepal participated in the workshop and explored ways of addressing hate speech online.
In 2022, this day has a focus on – Memory, Dignity and Justice, because the writing of history and a conscious act of remembering brings dignity and justice to the victims and sheds light on the stories the holocaust tried to erase. This year’s observance was graced by Mr. Ephraim Eisenman, a 77-year-old Holocaust Survivor who shared his story of exceptional courage and resilience.
Speaking at the ceremony, Richard Howard, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i said, “we call upon everyone to have a discussion on how we learn from the past to build our societies today, to work together to build communities that thrive in their diversity and communities in which equality and justice are the guiding light. It is that, for which we must strive.”
H.E. Mr. Hanan Goder Goldberger, Ambassador of Israel to Nepal, recited the memorial prayer and said Six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. Such event should never be forgotten and should never happen again. We must promote values like tolerance, acceptance of the other, nondiscrimination and democracy.
H. E. Dr Thomas Prinz, German Ambassador to Nepal, quoted one of the Holocaust survivors and said, “Saul Friedländer in the German Parliament once expressed his hopes that we “continue fighting for tolerance and inclusivity, for humanity and freedom, in short, for true democracy.” I think this is exactly what we have to do.”
Likewise, Ms. Nona Deprez Head of the EU Delegation to Nepal expressed, "we will never accept or ignore Holocaust denial, and will combat firmly any kind of antisemitism, intolerance, harassment or violence against any person or community based on ethnic origin, religion or belief.”
During the ceremony, in honour of the victims of the Holocaust, musicians from the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory created a beautiful fusion of Nepali folk music using the Sarangi and classical pieces from the Hungarian dance and the Oscar-winning Schindler’s List.
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Press Release
29 December 2021
Government of Nepal Launched SDGs in Mithila Postal Stamp
Hon’ble Minister of Information and Communications Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Dr Baikuntha Aryal Secretary of Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Indu Ghimire, Director General of Department of Postal Service jointly marked the first day of the issuance of the postal stamps by launching the “SGDs in Mithila” along with 14 other stamps highlighting Nepal’s natural and cultural diversity. Robert Kasca, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. participated in the event.
“The SDG Postal Stamps reinforce Nepal’s commitment towards achieving SDGs and enhances the awareness of Nepal's art sector,” said Hon’ble Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Minister of Information and Communications Technology.
The SDGs in Mithila original paintings, which are now issued as stamps, were created by local renowned women artists of Janakpur in 2018 as a collaborative effort between the UN in Nepal and the Janakpur Women’s Development Center.
“The issuance of the SDGs postal stamps not only highlights the UN’s effort to localize the SDGs in Nepal but symbolizes Nepal’s commitment and readiness to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The UN in Nepal lauds the efforts of the Government of Nepal to accelerate progress,” said Robert Kasca, UN Resident Coordinator a.i. in Nepal.
With the intent of using indigenous art practices to make the SDGs accessible and understandable to all people, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office began localizing the 17 SDGs icons into local art forms. After the creation of the 17 SDGs icons as Mithila art, the paintings also travelled to ‘Art for SDGs: the Mithila Heritage’ exhibition organized by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York and the Mithila Festival at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 2019.
For More Information, please contact:
Simrika Sharma
Tel: 9841592692
Email: Simrika.sharma@one.un.org
Notes to the Editor:
UN Resident Coordinator Office: The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UN RCO) in Nepal works under the strategic guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) and supports the UN Country Team (UNCT) in the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UN RCO team supports the RC and UNCT in ensuring a more coordinated and coherent approach across the work of the UN and is composed of experts in development and humanitarian coordination, information management, human rights, gender equality, and communications.
SDGs: In 2015 the member states of the United Nations, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development, collectively committing to a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and planet leaving no one behind. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental. They seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
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Press Release
09 December 2021
Nepal must now deliver on promise of social justice - UN human rights expert
Nepal has succeeded in reducing multidimensional poverty by 12.7 percent between 2014 and 2019, and its Human Development Index has improved, as have indicators related to health and education. But significant gaps remain,” the UN expert said.
“Women are still lagging on a number of indicators. Though banned, caste-based and ethnicity-based discrimination remain a reality in social life, and it is a major factor explaining the perpetuation of poverty. Land issues remain unresolved, despite the efforts to accelerate the rehabilitation of former bonded laborers and to ensure landless Dalit benefit from land redistribution.”
Poverty reduction owes more to remittances than to proactive Government anti-poverty policies, De Schutter said. "A quarter of the decline in poverty can be attributed to outmigration only, with estimates showing that, without remittances, poverty would have increased in Nepal,” he said. Remittances in Nepal were 10 times larger than foreign aid and 2.5 larger than total exports only in 2017. “It is clear that much more needs to be done by the Government to meet its own target of reducing multidimensional poverty to 11.5 percent by 2023-2024,” the expert said.
“The Government should ensure its skills and training programs reach the poorest families. While public works programs such as the Prime Minister’s Employment Program have considerable potential, in practice the program has yet to deliver on its promise of providing 100 days of work per person per year.
“In the country, 80 percent of workers are informal, which exposes them to higher rates of abuse, largely because the Government lacks the ability to enforce minimum wage legislation in the informal sector. Although informal workers should also contribute to and benefit from the Social Security Fund, there is currently no plan to include them in the program.”
De Schutter’s fact-finding mission began on 29 November, just weeks after the UN General Assembly voted a resolution inviting Nepal, along with Bangladesh and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, to prepare for graduation from the status of Least Developed Country (LDC) to that of an emerging economy. The country will benefit from a five-year transition period. “Graduation from LDC status is a major milestone for Nepal,” said De Schutter. “Poverty reduction must be at the heart of the country’s transition strategy to ensure that no groups are left behind.”
The UN expert met with communities who suffer from intersecting forms of deprivation. Most were landless daily wage laborers working in agricultural or informal jobs and struggling to send their children to school. Many were from historically disadvantaged and discriminated groups including Dalit, Madhesi, and Indigenous people, as well as women. “The stark inequalities resulting from the deeply entrenched norms and values of the Nepali caste system continue to perpetuate disadvantage today,” De Schutter said.
Women suffer the brunt of a historically patriarchal society, earning almost 30 percent less than men, suffering from higher rates of informality, owning only 19.7 percent of homes and land, and enduring a 17.5 percent literacy gap compared to men, the UN poverty expert noted. "Nepal can and must do better,” he said.
Children experience the worst forms of deprivation because of the poverty their families face, he added. Over one million children work in Nepal, and in rural areas over a fifth of children do.
“During my mission, I met with countless families whose children, especially girls, engaged in agricultural or domestic work,” De Schutter said. “Wealth inequality is a major factor: over 20 percent of children in poverty work, compared to only five percent of children from rich families.
“The Government must take child poverty seriously and take the necessary steps to end child marriage and labor and improve quality of and access to education,” he added.
During his mission, the Special Rapporteur visited Bagmati, Karnali, Lumbini provinces, as well as Province 2. He met with nine ministries, including six ministers, as well as local and provincial authorities, people affected by poverty, civil society organizations, and development cooperation and UN agencies.
ENDS
Photos from the Special Rapporteur’s visit to Nepal are available for journalists’ use at https://bit.ly/3dumvJJ
Mr. Olivier De Schutter was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights by the UN Human Rights Council on 1st May 2020. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity.
For more information and media requests, please contact Simrika Sharma (+977 9841592692 simrika.sharma@one.un.org and Isabelle Delforge (+32498522163 isabelle.delforge@srpoverty.org or media@srpoverty.org)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts, please contact Renato Rosario De Souza (renato.rosariodesouza@un.org) or Jeremy Laurence (+ 41 79 444 7578 / jeremy.laurence@un.org).
Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts.
Follow the Special Rapporteur on social media at @DeSchutterO and @srpoverty
Concerned about the world we live in?
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Then STAND UP for someone’s rights today.
#Standup4humanrights
and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org
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Press Release
30 November 2021
Commemoration of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, survivors, gender equality activists and representatives from the UN, development partners, and the government came together to commit to take action to end gender-based violence now! The event, streamed live from Patan Museum Courtyard, gave center stage to the stories of GBV survivors as well as to gender equality activists to present a joint statement calling for inclusive and comprehensive reforms to eliminate gender-based violence.
Jenny Khadka, an acid-attack survivor, emphasized everyone’s role in preventing gender-based violence. Ashmita Badi, a poet from Surkhet reiterated how patriarchy stands in the way of a world free of violence. Sharmila Thapa, Nurse and a Member of the Trade Union questioned normalization of GBV at the workplace. Similarly, Babita Rai, Feminist Writer shared about sexual harassment and urged for a world free of violence. Lastly, Kathak dancer Subima Shrestha portrayed the grief and perseverance of Gauri Bista, a survivor of domestic violence and women’s rights activist from Doti, through her dance in the song written by Bista herself. Through their stories, the advocates called for urgent action to change discriminatory social norms, policies and laws to prevent gender-based violence.
In the joint statement, Shova Maya BK, Disabled Women’s Rights Activist, Kala Swarnakar, General Secretary, Feminist Dalit Organization, Nagma Khan, Queer Rights Activist, Prakriti Bhattarai, Chairperson, Political Literacy for Women, and Dorje Gurung, Educator and Activist, called for action from the government, multilateral and bilateral organizations to:
- Repeal constitutional and legal provisions on legal identity and citizenship to address existing gender discriminatory provisions.
- Amplify efforts to end violence against women and girls with intersectional identities (such as caste/ethnicity, religion, geography, disability, gender and sexual minority) through interventions and policy reform tailored to their specific needs.
- Strengthen and intensify response services to GBV through establishment of fast track courts, well-functioning multi-sectoral support system (e.g., health, legal aid, shelter homes, psychosocial support, interpretation services) and increase access to these services for service-seekers focusing on needs of women and girls from marginalized communities.
“Across the globe gender-based violence continues with impunity, survivors’ stories silenced while perpetrators evade justice. Today we say, enough with the silence. Stop the Violence Now.” said Sara Beysolow Nyanti, UN Resident Coordinator, International Development Partner’s Group Co-chair and representing multilateral development partners.
Speaking at the event, Excellency Nona Deprez, European Union Ambassador, Development Partner’s Group Co-chair and representing bilateral development partners expressed, “Ending gender-based violence is non-negotiable. Nepal has worked really hard to have a strong legal framework to combat GBV, which is a real achievement but there is still so much work to be done. It is important to break the cycle of violence”.
During the programme, Under-Secretary Ram Hari Sharma from Ministry of Home Affairs shared that the Ministry has initiated discussions to formulate law related to acid attack as the previous ordinances related to acid attack issued has become ineffective. Dipti Karki, Deputy Superintendent of Police also shared her commitments to end violence against women and girls.
Wrapping up the commemoration event, the UN Country Team lit up Patan Durbar Square Museum and Dharahara in orange, the official colour of the UNITE campaign, that symbolizes hope and a country free of violence.
For queries, please contact;
Simrika Sharma; Tel: 9841592692 Email: Simrika.sharma@one.un.org
Subeksha Poudel; Tel: 9851109136 Email: Subeksha.poudel@unwomen.org
Editor’s Note
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign which takes place each year. It commences on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was originated by activists at the first Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and is coordinated each year by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
As a unifying theme running global activities, the UNiTE campaign has utilized the colour orange to represent a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls. The UN Country Team (UNCT) in Nepal has marked 16 days campaign with awareness building and advocacy campaigns across Nepal. Some of the key activities undertaken were ‘oranging’ monuments and provincial buildings, engaging audience across Nepal through films, social media, and radio campaigns. In Nepal, the UN Country Team (UNCT) has marked the campaign during the past years, including ‘oranging’ of Patan Darbar Square (2016), Lumbini (2017), Provincial Parliament Buildings (2018), Women’s March in Janakpur (2019), and an online dialogue on ‘The Role of Media in Changing Mindsets: One story of gender-based violence is one story too many’ (2020).
The cases of gender-based violence’s have been increasing annually as per the reports from Nepal Police.[1]According to the three years study done by Nepal Police from 2018- 2021 total 8571 cases of sexual violence (mainly rape, attempt to rape, child sexual abuse), 209 cases of child marriage, 38737 cases of domestic violence have been registered across Nepal. Review the status of limitations of sexual abuse of children to ensure cases can be brought against offenders.
A study[2] highlighted that gender-based violence and gender equality funds are not currently operational. Those that are functioning to a degree – such as the GBV Elimination Fund and the Rehabilitation Fund – exist at the federal level and not at the provincial or local level, which restricts women’s access to these funds. In this context, there is an urgent need to make funds available and ensure that women have access to essential services, including gender-based violence services.[3] There is an urgent need for gender responsive budgeting and tracking allocations for gender equality and for achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality. A coordinated, multi-level and multi-sectoral approach is recommended to prevent and respond to the potential increase in gender-based violence in Nepal[4].
[1] Reported incidents of child marriage, witchcraft allegations and untouchability have increased annually, according to Nepal Police data on FIRs registered between FY 2016/2017 and September 2020. National Women Commission (NWC): A Study on the Implementation Status of Concluding Observations of United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) on the Sixth Periodic Report of Nepal, June 2021.
[2] Forum For Women Legal Development (FWLD) and Himal Innovative Development Research Pvt Ltd (HIDR), Policy Brief: Nepal’s Gender-Based Violence and Gender Equality Funds: The Path to Effective Implementation, 2021, available at https://nepal.un.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/np-the-path-to-effective-implementation-english.pdf[3]Ibid.
[4] National Women Commission (NWC), A Study on the Implementation Status of Concluding Observations of United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) on the Sixth Periodic Report of Nepal June 2021.
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Press Release
23 November 2021
National Workshop To Promote The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) And Support Nepal’s Accession To The Treaty
The workshop aims to gather a diverse group of participants and stakeholders whose coordination is key to the accession and implementation of the ATT, including government officials of key ministries, members of parliament representing different political parties, civil society organizations including the media, and international experts.
The workshop aims to raise awareness of national representatives of the ATT’s provisions, decision-making processes, and the incentives for Nepal to accede, as well as the Treaty’s compliance with gender responsive control of small arms and ammunitions.
The workshop is funded by the European Union as part of a global project led by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) to support gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against small arms trafficking and misuse.
For further information, please contact Mr. Yuriy Kryvonos, Director of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) at: yuriy.kryvonos@un.org.
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