Kathmandu: Kamala Panta of the Nepali Congress demanded that the participation of women should be ensured at the policy-making level. Expressing views on party lines during the special hour of the meeting of the National Assembly, the upper house of the Federal Parliament, today, she said, “Women’s participation has increased as compared to the past, but participation has not increased at the policy-making level.”
According to National News Agency Nepal, Panta emphasized that women should be given leadership roles instead of being limited to positions such as vice president, deputy prime minister, deputy speaker, vice chairperson, state minister, and deputy mayor. She highlighted the current statistics of women’s representation, stating that there is 34 per cent women representation in the federal parliament, 36.5 per cent in the province assemblies, and 41.1 per cent in the local levels. Women make up 28 per cent of the civil service. Panta called for legal provisions guaranteeing one-third participation of women in the Council of Ministers as well.
Panta also referenced the resolution proposal passed by the parliament on May 30, 2006, which called for the annulment of laws discriminatory towards women, participation of one-third women in all structures of the state, granting citizenship through the mother’s name, and the implementation of the provision of equal rights to sons and daughters.