Nepal Meeting: Access to Justice and Post 2015
A regional level consultation with civil society actors was organized by FMDC in Dhangadhi in Nepal at the initiation of the Alliance for Social Diallogue (ASD) on 19th August on Nepal’s National Information Day. In all, 22 Civil society representatives from Kailali, Dadeldhura and Achham district took part in the consultation.
Mr. Som Niroula and Ms. Neetu Pokhrel of ASD made an elaborate presentation on the Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Som Niroula said, access to justice has to be one of the goals if sustainable development is to be achieved. He described the efforts being made at the national and international level for inclusion of justice in the post 2015 Development goals.
Ms. Neetu Pokhrel of ASD said, though Nepal has made significant progress in achieving the MDGs, disparities between ethnic and social groups; between urban and rural households; across gender; and between people from different geographic regions is widening. Groups like Dalits, women and marginalized communities continue to be excluded. The access to justice of these groups has been poor. Violence against women and caste discrimination is on a rise. Issues of legal identity, right to land and property, access to information, legal participation and access to legal services have not received due importance leading to further marginalization of these communities.
Many of the participants pointed out tha, Far West Nepal is backward compared to other regions of Nepal due to the prevalence the caste system and chhaupadi – where women are treated as untouchable during their menses. Though Kamaiya system of bonded labor has been abolished, the living conditions for freed Kamaiyas and Haliyas remains extremely poor. “If true development is to take place theses social evils have to be done away with through enhancing access to justice and rule of Law,” said Mr. Prabhakar Bagchand, executive director of FMDC and the meeting facilitator.
The Chair of the District Peace Committee Bir Bahadur Jethara and Former Vice president of Nepal Bar Association advocate Johari Lal Chaudhary addressed the meeting, among others.