Nepali Women’s Global Network (NWGN) Calls for Action to withdraw recently proposed bogus and repressive rule, requiring women under 40 to take ‘consent from family and permission from the ward office to travel abroad’. Nepal’s Department of Immigration (DoI) framed and forwarded this rule to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claiming that women under 40 are at a higher risk of trafficking and other abuses. This rule is discriminatory on the basis of age and gender, and the rule infringes on the constitutional right to move freely and the right to equal treatment. No government should have the authority to disenfranchise the constitutionally guaranteed rights of its citizens and violate the “Right to Freedom of Movement” as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human rights.
In today’s global world, Nepali women have been chasing dreams globally for higher education, international jobs, professional experience, career growth and/or for financial stability of their family. Nepali women, alongside women around the world, have fought hard for more than 100 years and are still fighting to be treated equally. We have achieved a lot, but there are many more hurdles to cross. We cannot let patriarchal mindset deter us from our path to seek equal treatment. We must STOP repressive rules like this from being drafted, rules like this should never see the dawn of day, let alone be put on the table for discussion. Therefore, NWGN demands the DoI of Nepal to withdraw this rule immediately, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to declare this, and any future rules like this that marginalize a group of citizens, as ‘dead on arrival’! Nepali women refuse to be protected at the expense of their own freedom and to be treated as second class citizens. NWGN urges government to include women in decision making in all issues and especially issues involving women. Nepali Women are capable of exercising their rights and protecting their freedom, guaranteed by the constitution and International law. We are appalled that at this day and age we are seeing this restriction on women.
NWGN joins in unison with women’s rights advocates raising their voices in Social Media and on the streets of Nepal, to condemn this proposed rule. NWGN recognizes that girls and women trafficking in Nepal is a genuine problem, but introducing this type of repressive rule is not the solution. If the Nepali government wants to ensure the safety of their citizens and would like to make sure that their citizens are not trafficked, we urge the government to make the “Human Trafficking and Transportation Control Act 2007” stronger and implement it, work with government of the destination country to protect Nepali Citizens and, provide immediate and effective protection and rescue services for victims of abuse. NWGN calls on policy makers to stop curtailing the rights and freedom of women, through their patriarchal mindset and repressive behavior. Let’s Rise to not let this Regressive Rule pass!
Avima Upreti, Esq. Dr. Soni Thapa Tejaswi Giri
President, NWGN Vice-President, NWGN Vice-President, NWGN
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