Women’s participation should be ensured: Minister Bhattarai

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai, has said all political parties and leaderships need to ensure women’s participation in each state mechanism. Minister Bhattarai said it during a programme organized to mark the 110th International Women’s Day in the capital city on Thursday.

At the ‘women journalists’ cultural festival’ organized by Federation of Nepali Journalists’ women committee, women’s leadership should be established from the local to federal level. "With the socioeconomic changes being realized gradually, the discrimination and inequality are downscaling," he said, reminding that Constitution has ensured women’s right as it is a democratic and inclusive national charter Nepal ever got.

Also the standing committee member of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, Minister Bhattarai expressed worry over negative tendency emerging of late to tarnish the image of party leadership. He blamed the ultra-rightist thoughts behind this negative attitude. "Propaganda is made viral in social networking sites and social media against party leadership. Struggle and debate are integral to politics. Some people emerging over short time are daring to challenge the NCP and Nepali Congress which have been leading the country for 70 years," he argued. Unity among all is therefore must to tackle the anarchy created by the mobsters.

On the occasion, Chair of the House of Representatives, State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, Sashi Shrestha, however, said the media could continue its watchdog role to hold the political parties, government and stakeholders to account. "Change realized today is the struggle waged by the women in the past," she reminded, adding that women journalists should write for the sake of women rights and country.

Similarly, FNJ Chairperson Govinda Acharya shared that FNJ was carrying out various activities to promote women’s presence in journalism.

A total of 25 women contributing to media including former General Manager of RSS, Nirmala Acharya, RSS journalist and Mt Everest summiter Rosha Basnet and photo journalist Chandrakala Chhetri, were honoured on the occasion.