Women’s Role in Peace Building in Nepal

Women’s Role in Peace Building in Nepal

Samira Paudel

Introduction

Peace building is an inclusive democratic process that requires a close partnership, respect and dialogue among all stakeholders – including the ordinary citizens. It is the effort to promote human security in societies marked by violence and conflict. The overarching goal of peace building is to strengthen the capacity of societies to manage conflict without any recourse to violence, as a means to achieve sustainable human security and reconciliation in societies.

FES Nepal which was established in 1995, is currently working on activities and issues pertaining to democratization, conflict transformation and peace building. This reflects the basic values of FES namely, social democracy, social justice, solidarity and peace where peace-building is a very important theme for Nepal at this transitional period. After the signing of Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the CPN-Maoists (Communist Party of Nepal), the ongoing conflict was shifted into the peace process with the aim to hold Constituent Assembly elections by June 2007 so as to draft a new Constitution for a New Nepal. Already, Nepal has endorsed some international agreements on human rights, civil and political rights and social, cultural and economic rights, CEDAW and Beijing Declaration. Still, there is a big gap between the conditions of society and acceptance of human rights principles by CPN (Maoists) and counter-insurgency operations by the state. Further, conflicts are appearing in Terai, hills and mountains for rights, power, resource and identity.

The Framework Condition

In a developing country like Nepal where more than half of the population is women, it is very important to identify the conditions of women and realize the role of women in peace building. More then 13,000 people have lost their lives over the last 12 years due to CPN (Maoists)’s insurgency and counter-insurgency organized by the state. About 300,000 people were displaced from their homes. Innocent civilians mostly women and children were the victims of the ongoing violent conflict where it was estimated that about 37,000 women were affected by the violent conflict. Thousands of children have been affected directly and indirectly where 419 (295 boys and 124 girls) innocent children have lost their lives. Around 40,000 children have been displaced due to the armed conflict and more than 8,000 children have been orphaned. A total of 19 People (2 women) have lost their life in the April 2006 movement where 5,000 people were wounded. Despite women’s crucial participation in political movement their role occupancy in crucial areas of decision-making regarding war and peace has been neglected by their male counterpart.

Nepal’s historically evolved patriarchal tradition and caste-based social structure are not letting women come to the decision making level which indirectly effects the country’s economy and this is also affecting the country’s development. As the voice of half of population is unheard they are still living harder lives in the rural areas facing gender discrimination and exploitation. Women are excluded from the society both as beneficiaries and contributors. They have been deprived of most of the opportunities including access to business, trade and industry, gainful employment, entrepreneurial and skill development opportunities, education, health etc. They are discriminated even by the laws of the land on many matters and this begins from their early childhood socialisation where the preference for male child is still strong due to a religiously ingrained attitude. Conflict has affected men and women differently. Gender-based violence such as sexual violence, rape, unwanted pregnancy, forced recruitment as spy or in the fighting force, psychological damage, life-threatening diseases such as HIV/AIDS, infertility, stigmatization and rejection by family members and society, alienation, divorce, being declared unfit for marriage and severe economic and social consequences, widowhood, psychological shock, economic burden for the family, etc have put women in a disadvantaged position.

Since April 2006 in the political arena, a condition of no-war-no-peace prevails in the country. Political leaderships have announced a series of reforms and committed to provide women 33% of seats in the institutions of governance. Still gender imbalance continues in every aspect of life, such as politics, labor market, education and empowerment. Women’s organizations and the international community are, therefore, pushing for gender responsive governance. The recently published Interim Constitution involved 4 women in the draft committee. It shows a bit of change in attitude of leadership but no women was represented in the peace negotiation that produced the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. This also indicates that leaders have not outgrown their conservative thinking. But the implementation of Interim Constitution is likely to increase women’s seat in the 330-member interim parliament and 425-seat for Constituent Assembly body and increase their voice and visibility in decision making. Gender responsive organizations are struggling to achieve equal outcomes for both men and women from national initiatives.

In May 2006, the parliament passed a proposal which obliged the government to issue a citizenship certificate to children with the mother as approver or legal guardian, to guarantee proportionate representation in all state mechanisms including jobs and other opportunities in the long run and to end all provisions in laws that discriminate against them. The post-conflict peace building efforts require alleviating their suffering and creating equal social, economic and political outcome for both women and men. On December 18, Nepal ratified CEDAW’s Optional Protocol. This provides Nepali women the power to bring claims of gender discrimination directly to the UN committee. However, in rural areas, due to the lack of proper knowledge, law enforcement agencies are exploited by anti-social elements. Rural women require capacity building efforts including access to the institutional resources of the state, market institutions, civil society and the international community.

Women and Peace

Positive peace brings transformation in the society. It helps the citizens to achieve freedom and establishes equality of male and female in all spheres of human lives. The real meaning of politics is to serve public interest, hand out justice and set up cordial relationship between the political actors and stakeholders of the society. It should provide essential education for right conduct and talk about the freedom of all men and women. Proper education, teaching and socialization try to minimize the use of violent words in personal and public communication and action in daily life of society. Gautam Buddha said clearly that peace can be achieved only by peaceful means. This means a culture of peace is essential for the creation of a society for peaceful co-existence.

The recent restoration of democracy and conflict transformation in Nepal confirm the fact that the power of powerless is expressed fully through non-violent means of politics by solidarity, purposeful communication and collective action. This means expansion of the participation of women at all levels of society and every aspect of public life is a way to make politics human, non-violent and peaceful. This has been the cry of Nepalese women since the dawn of human civilization. It is a cry of the majority of the Nepalese population for building an order in society so that stakes for peace become a common concern for all members- women, men, children and disabled. Exclusion of women in the politics of peace means paralyzing more than half the population from creative change and making the change sustainable.

Violent conflict affects all the citizens; especially the weaker sections of the society like women, children, disabled and the poor. They lack sufficient mechanism for security, safety and protection. They are ones who are the direct victim of various kinds of conflicts direct structural and cultural. Even though the cost of the conflict is borne by these sections of the societies the benefits are shared and taken by the powerful actors and stakeholders mostly male ones. Therefore, the situation of conflict must be removed by the means of democratization of the state, political parties, civil society, economic institutions and also the community themselves. This is only possible when the collective voice of women is expressed in the public sphere and long-term realistic planning of society is made. Peace requires truth telling about the condition where political leaders conservatively maintain a creek between the promise and practice and ultimately fail to recognize the core meaning of politics which is to maintain morality in public life and not to lie to the people. Women’s organizations in Nepal are struggling hard to minimize the level of violence in politics and seeking for legitimate roles in peace negotiation, mediation and in the conflict resolution process.

Human right situation has worsened in Nepal: Amnesty report

Launching its global annual report “the state of the world’s human rights-2010″ on Thursday, the Amnesty International (AI) said human rights situation in Nepal has deteriorated.

The report points out to hundreds of killings and abductions by state forces and armed groups that have contributed to the deterioration in the rights situation. Public insecurity, AI report said, has escalated with growing number of armed groups taking to violent action against civilians.

The police used unnecessary and excessive force to dispel political and right-based demonstrations, and there have been many incidents of torture to the prisoners, according to the report

The global report, which was made public in Kathmandu by its AI Nepal chapter in a press conference Thursday, further said the commitment made in Nepal’s 2006 Comprehensive Peace Accord to uphold civil, political, economic and cultural rights remained unfulfilled.

It has also blamed political division and proliferation of armed groups for the rise in human rights violations.

Women rights defenders were threatened, assaulted and killed during the reporting period. “There has been continuing violence on dowry deaths and sexual violence.”

Amnesty International Nepal chairman Hem Kumar Khadka said the government stalled ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court despite a commitment from Nepal’s then minister of Foreign Affairs.

The AI-Nepal has already submitted more than 13,000 appeal letters to the minister of Foreign Affairs, calling for the government to proceed with ratification, but it didn’t see any progress made though the minister has agreed to begin the process.

The report was prepared after study on torture or other ill-treatment in at least 111 countries, unfair trials in at least 55 countries, restrictions on free speech in at least 96 countries and prisoners of conscience in at least 48 countries.

Human right situation has worsened in Nepal: Amnesty report
Launching its global annual report “the state of the world’s human rights-2010″ on Thursday, the Amnesty International (AI) said human rights situation in Nepal has deteriorated.The report points out to hundreds of killings and abductions by state forces and armed groups that have contributed to the deterioration in the rights situation. Public insecurity, AI report said, has escalated with growing number of armed groups taking to violent action against civilians.The police used unnecessary and excessive force to dispel political and right-based demonstrations, and there have been many incidents of torture to the prisoners, according to the reportThe global report, which was made public in Kathmandu by its AI Nepal chapter in a press conference Thursday, further said the commitment made in Nepal’s 2006 Comprehensive Peace Accord to uphold civil, political, economic and cultural rights remained unfulfilled.It has also blamed political division and proliferation of armed groups for the rise in human rights violations.Women rights defenders were threatened, assaulted and killed during the reporting period. “There has been continuing violence on dowry deaths and sexual violence.”Amnesty International Nepal chairman Hem Kumar Khadka said the government stalled ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court despite a commitment from Nepal’s then minister of Foreign Affairs.The AI-Nepal has already submitted more than 13,000 appeal letters to the minister of Foreign Affairs, calling for the government to proceed with ratification, but it didn’t see any progress made though the minister has agreed to begin the process.The report was prepared after study on torture or other ill-treatment in at least 111 countries, unfair trials in at least 55 countries, restrictions on free speech in at least 96 countries and prisoners of conscience in at least 48 countries.

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A Dalit Community in Nepal

For centuries discrimination and social exclusion have kept the Dalit communities of eastern Nepal living in poverty.

Human Rights activist Janaki Devi Ram, herself a Dalit, says the 1,500-year-old Hindu tradition describes those born into the social group as ‘untouchables’, restricts their employment opportunities and treats them as outcasts of the societies in which they live.

‘We are poor because we are Dalits and must pick up the carcasses of dead animals,’ she says.

Six years ago Ms Devi Ram began a protest in the district of Siraha that has inspired and been repeated by Dalit communities across the country. 150 members of the Dalit community in the town of Lahan went on strike, demanding a just pay for their long hours of work.

‘Immediately the high-caste farmers placed a blockade on us because we refused to pick up the carcasses,’ she explains. Non-Dalit employers across the district barred them from using public services, the water supply and even buying food in the shops. One day into the blockade, Ms Devi Ram says, the Dalits’ determination strengthened and more than one thousand staged a sit-in at the office of the Chief District Officer who ordered landowners to lift their blockade. A few weeks later 10,000 converged on the capital, Kathmandu , and submitted a letter of their grievances to the Prime Minister.

But the discrimination persists and earlier this year a similar protest over low wages in the village of Bhawaniput-Kalabanjur was met with physical abuse of the protesters as well as a blockade. A pregnant woman reported being punched in the stomach and pulled by the hair.

The United Nations human rights office in Nepal (OHCHR) is investigating a number of reports of caste-based discrimination including the beating, rape and murder of members of Dalit groups.

OHCHR officer Sushil Raj says the crimes against this group and their poverty are the result of the discrimination.

‘It is important for everyone to understand the impact of discrimination on the lives of these people,’ he says. ‘All sectors of society can agree on action to change prejudices, empower those facing discrimination and ensure equal social and economic opportunities at the local and national levels”.

Improving respect for human rights is fundamental to improving social and economic development as well as preventing the conditions that can lead to conflict. OHCHR Nepal is working with Dalit communities and activists to raise awareness of the impact on the society of discrimination.

Source: http://nepalhumanrights.com/researchreports/