The National Consultation on Girls Rights in Nepal UPR-3rd cycle was successfully conducted on 6th March 2020, Friday, in New Baneshwor, Kathmandu by National Coalition for Girls’ Rights (NCGR), a coalition established in 2076 (2019), a network on bringing practical changes on the lives of girl children and recognition of their rights at three-tier federal structure and sector in Nepal. The Program was supported by Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (JCYCN), SwatantrataAbhiyan Nepal (SAN), Global March, and Girls Advocacy Alliance and was conducted in collaboration with Destination Unknown, National Child Protection Alliance (NCPA), National Action and Coordination Group (NACG) Consortium Nepal, Children as Zone of Peace (CZOPP), Social Protection Civil Society Network, Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Coordination Committee (HRTMCC) CRC Committee, Education Watch Group, National Child Friendly Local Governance (NCFLG) Forum, Asian Girl Campaign, and Ratify OP3 CRC Coalition Nepal. The guests in the program included representation from National Human Rights Commission, 8 INGOs like Plan International, Good Neighbors International Nepal, World Vision International Nepal, VSO,15 NGOs, 12 Networks, and Media.
The consultation program was chaired by TilottamPaudel, Co-Chair of NCGR, and the welcome remarks were given by GobindaShahi from KIRDARC, core team member of NCGR. BabitaPariyar, girl representative and girls’ rights activist talked about how while she is advocating for girls’ rights, her peers are victims of child marriage and teen motherhood. Krishna Chandra Acharya from NACG highlighted the importance of coordination between civil society, constitutional bodies, and the government and if that is possible, the next UPR reporting cycle can be an integrated report, with voices from all 753 local government units.
Director of NHRC,Murari Prasad Kharel presented on International Human Rights Mechanisms, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and the NHRC’s role in ensuring the rights and reporting process so far. WrittuBhattaRai, Co-Chair of NCGR, presented the actual status of girls in Nepal, gathered through the information gathered from field, through questionnaires, legal desk review and factual research, and explained the UPR Recommendations Nepal received in the 2nd UPR cycle, relevant to girls, and its implementation status. Krishna Subedi, representing HRTMCC; CRC Committee, emphasized on the balance between criticism and praise of the positive steps taken by the government in treaty based reporting, and insisted on the advocacy for Nepal’s ratification of OP3CRC. This was followed by an open floor discussion where Civil Society members mentioned important issues that they requested to be included in the report like the intersectionality, participation, harmful practices, child friendly local governance,and reformation of the school curriculum.
Rabin Nepali from C-Net emphasized on the need to advocate for the rights of girls living in alternative care homes and make policies on alternative care along with the rights of severely disabled girls and how the nation shall grant protection and treat them as dignified citizens. ManjuKhatiwada, Deputy Director of NHRC, mentioned the need for specific mechanisms for implementation of UN treaty body Recommendations, and mechanisms to ensure the discrepancy between federal laws and its implementation in local level. TilottamPaudel, the co-chair of NCGR highlighted the issues of girls regarding cyber security, identity of conflict victims and refugees, and ended the programs with a vote of thanks.
