Surkhet, August 22, 2024 – Saathi, in collaboration with the National Network for Beijing Review Nepal (NNBN) and the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD), organized a province-level consultative workshop in Surkhet as part of the ongoing Beijing+30 national review process.
The event, held in the capital of Karnali Province, saw the participation of 100 individuals representing a diverse sectors, including community-based organizations, development partners, media, youth and adolescent girls, Dalit and indigenous rights activists, gender activists, the private sector, academia, child rights activists, and advocates for social justice and gender equality.
Participants were divided into six groups, each tasked with reviewing two areas of concern from the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), thus covering all 12 critical areas of the review.
Saathi’s Executive Director, Suvekchya Rana, opened the event by welcoming the participants and encouraging them to engage in deep reflection on the 12 critical areas of the BPfA. She urged participants to provide in-depth and concrete feedback on the issues at hand.
Palita Thapa, Program Manager at Saathi, provided a summary of the draft report prepared by NNBN members, outlining the 12 critical areas under review. This presentation set the stage for participants to offer focused feedback on the draft report.
The event featured a keynote address by Bandana Rana, Saathi’s former president, founder of NNBN, and current CEDAW committee member.
Rana underscored the global and national significance of the BPfA in advancing gender justice and oriented participants on the importance of the civil society report generated from the review process. “The civil society report is not just for the government; it is crucial for us as rights workers. It will guide our future interventions and help us focus on the most pressing areas to achieve substantive equality in the country,” she remarked.
In the concluding session, Rajeev Bikram Shah, Economic Affairs and Planning Minister of the Karnali Province Government, emphasized the need to address the region’s high prevalence of early and child marriage. He reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to working alongside civil society to eliminate gender discrimination and achieve social change towards a gender-equal society.
Additionally, Urmila Bishwakarma, Coordinator of the Interparty Women Parliamentarian Alliance in Karnali, highlighted the necessity for a more inclusive review process that considers intersectionality.
Suryanath Yogi, Vice Chair of the Karnali Province Planning Commission, stressed the importance of integrating social development into the province’s overall development strategy, while Ashok Nath Yogi, a Planning Commission member, called for greater inclusivity and intersectionality in the development process to ensure social justice.
