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NEPAL ISSUES "STAY ORDER" ON BILL TO PAY MEN TO MARRY NEPAL WIDOWS - NGO CAMPAIGN ADVOCACY

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

WPD (Widows for Peace through Democracy), the lead iNGO working for widows across the world, especially those bereaved through armed conflict,

Congratulates the Nepal Government for issuing a “STAY ORDER” on the Bill proposed to pay men to marry widows.

We also congratulate WHR-SWG for the dignity, dedication, and integrity shown in their campaign to get this bill off the statute books.

This bill outraged the international community of organisations and individuals working to promote human rights, gender equality, eliminate discrimination, and ensure that all women, including widows, are afforded their full rights, along with respect, and autonomy.

This proposed law breached the CEDAW, by implication imposing on widows a form of forced remarriage. It proposed to treat widows as “chattels” that could be brought. It also would have brought into disrepute those widows who chose to remarry of their own volition.

The long conflict in Nepal has produced thousands of very young widows; many are illiterate, living in remote villages. This bill would have endangered their very lives.

It would have encouraged impoverished families and impoverished men in particular to coerce young widows into forced matrimony, and would have also increased widows’ vulnerability to violence including sexual abuse.

Far better that the Nepal government spends its scarce resources on pensions and social security, health and education access for ALL WIDOWS, irrespective of AGE: provides incomes, training, and employment; provides allowances for widows’ children to attend school. The government should also provide more support for widows to “band together” so that their voices are truly heard so as to influence the development of policies and laws that will benefit not just the widows but their children, ,other dependents and the future of NEPAL. This would comply with UN SCR 1325.

Again, we congratulate this good decision. It demonstrates the power and strength of widows when, as they have via WHR-SWG, BAND TOGETHER so as to influence government to do the right thing, according to international laws and standards.

We shall refer to this achievement when we present on WIDOWHOOD issue to the CEDAW committee in Geneva on February lst. It is a triumph for NGOs and a triumph for the Government of Nepal, that it listened to them!

Margaret Owen Director WPD www.widowsforpeace.org

36 faroe road London W14 0EP

44 207 603 733

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