US embassy cable - 04KATHMANDU488

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000488 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID, ALSO FOR SA/INS, DRL, G/TIP 
LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY 
NSC FOR MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN, PGOV, PHUM, NP, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: NEPAL: GOVERNMENT ACTION PLAN ON WOMEN POSITIVE, 
BUT NOT ACHIEVABLE 
 
 
1. Summary.  On March 8, the Government of Nepal unveiled its 
National Plan on Women designed to bring Nepal into 
compliance with the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All 
Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).  The plan 
mandates the government to amend discriminatory laws and 
regulations, increase women's participation in elections, 
civil service and other public activities, and promote 
women's health and education.  However, an official at the 
government ministry responsible for the plan is concerned 
that the ministry lacks the resources to implement the plan 
successfully.  Likewise, civil society is skeptical of the 
government's ability to achieve true social reform.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. On March 8, International Women's Day, the Government of 
Nepal (GON) released a National Plan on Women outlining 
actions the government will take over the next 3 years to 
promote the status of women in government service, public 
activities, health and education.  The plan is designed to 
bring Nepal into compliance with the Convention on the 
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 
(CEDAW) and identifies the Ministry of Women, Children and 
Social Welfare as the lead implementing agency. 
 
3. According to the plan, the GON will eliminate all 
gender-based discriminatory laws and regulations within 3 
years.  Joint Secretary S.S. Sharma of the Ministry of Women, 
Children, and Social Welfare (MWCSW) noted that some progress 
has already been achieved in this area.  A comprehensive 
study was conducted on legal instruments and, as a result, 
MWCSW has proposed amendments to 40 government regulations 
and 154 clauses within various national laws that would 
eliminate gender-based discrimination, he said.  Sharma 
indicated that he was working with the Attorney General's 
Office on this issue, but progress would necessarily be 
limited due to the absence of parliament.  The national plan 
also mandates that 33 percent of candidates in national and 
local elections should be women and 20 percent of civil 
service positions should be filled with women.  Sharma stated 
that the government already has initiated classes for women 
to prepare for the civil service examination.  The plan also 
seeks to increase female participation to 33 percent in 
public activities, such as local development boards and 
government workshops. 
 
4. Sharma also expressed concern about the ability of his 
ministry to implement the national plan.  Sharma indicated 
that the Ministry would be hard pressed to implement the plan 
with the limited resources allocated to it by the government. 
 The National Plan on Women, he said, is only one of 7 plans 
that have been adopted or are in the pipeline for which MWCSW 
has significant responsibilities.  Moreover, he expects the 
ministry's budget of NRs 190 million (roughly USD 2.5 
million, or .2 percent of the national budget) to be reduced 
even further in the next fiscal year.  With only 25 
professional staff in Kathmandu and 75 Women Development 
officers around the country, Sharma did not know how his 
Ministry would implement the plan successfully. 
 
5. Nepali civil society has reacted positively, although with 
a certain amount of skepticism.  Sapana Pradhan-Malla, 
President of the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD), 
explained that preparations for the National Plan on Women 
began in 1999 but stalled after the Parliament was dissolved 
in May 2002.  (Note.  Pradhan-Malla had been hired by UNDP as 
a consultant to assist in developing the national plan and, 
therefore, was closely involved in the process.  End Note.) 
Pradhan-Malla was disappointed and surprised that the GON 
issued the plan without further consultation.  She criticized 
the government for failing to include comments from the 
January CEDAW Conference in New York, for which Pradhan-Malla 
had authored Nepal's Shadow Report.  The plan also fails to 
address critical issues that would affect implementation, 
such as the absence of a sitting parliament and the ongoing 
insurgency, she added.  Concerned that the plan is not 
achievable within the time frame Pradhan-Malla opined that 
the GON should incorporate all related action plans -- the 
draft Human Rights Plan of Action, Beijing Plan of Action, 
the Tenth Plan and the National Plan on Trafficking in 
Persons -- within a single, achievable framework that can be 
monitored by civil society. 
 
6. Comment.  By promoting and advancing the status of women 
in Nepal, the GON is attempting to address some of the root 
causes of the insurgency.  Even if the plan is implemented 
slowly, the principles and ideals it contains provide a 
positive and constructive vision for the future.  End Comment. 
MALINOWSKI