PM Dahal instructs to promote women-led industries

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has instructed the line ministry and stakeholders to prioritise the promotion of industries run by women entrepreneurs.

During a discussion with the Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, secretary and other officials on thematic issues concerning the ministry, PM Dahal urged the officials to prioritise the issues relating to women.

"The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens is highly sensitive. But we have not given priority to the level it demands. So, its restructuring is needed to accord priority to this (ministry) in the future," the prime minister mentioned.

On the occasion, PM Dahal said women's rights could be strengthened by ensuring better income and making women independent. "For this, implement the policies that prioritise women and women-led industries and business."

In his remarks, Prime Minister Dahal shared his observation about the role played by women in Nepal's political, economic and social transformation.

He asked the ministry to fix and incorporate functional policies and structural issues in the upcoming fiscal year's policy and programme to translate women's political rights into practice.

PM Dahal opined that community-based programmes should be implemented to end all kinds of violence against women and human trafficking, in partnership with private sector and community-based organisations. He also called for preparing a strategy along with the capacity development programmes to enhance work execution skills of local judicial committee members.

Moreover, the prime minister directed to make needed provisions to honour the women by incorporating their contributions in the labour force survey.

The head of the government called for programmes that ensure women's economic and fiscal participation by supporting better economic growth and sustainable development.   

He directed to immediately begin the process for formulation of new Act of the Social Welfare Council (SWC) by scrapping the existing Act and to make provisions for the SWC to mobilise foreign assistance only in the national priority sectors.

Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizens Surendra Raj Acharya pointed out the need for addressing the problems in the child correction home by reforming the legal provisions that stand as barriers to it.

Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal emphasized on restructuring of the Social Welfare Council while calling for transparency in the grants and assistance received from foreign donors.

Secretary at MoWCSC, Suman Raj Aryal, suggested that the services of the ministry should be extended to all 753 local levels. The MoWCSC has focused on the regulation and operation of the SWC, monitoring and evaluation of NGOs as well as on ensuring the justice and rights of women, children and senior citizens.

Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Arjun Prasad Pokharel, emphasized that the SWC should be reformed as per the need of time and pointed out that legal and structural reforms are necessary for it.

Similarly, Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Pushkar said it has not been possible to ensure sufficient funds for some projects and programmes due to an imbalance between national needs and resource management.