KATHMANDU, Nepal — A resolution passed by Nepali legislators last week is a milestone in the advancement of women’s civil and political rights, the Representative of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, said today.

On 30 May, the recently reinstated House of Representatives granted citizenship rights to children born to Nepali mothers; previously only fathers could pass on citizenship. They also called for 33 per cent of civil service jobs to be reserved for women, and asked the Government to review all laws that discriminate against women and girls.

“These are key steps towards empowering women and alleviating poverty,” said Junko Sazaki, UNFPA Representative to Nepal. “Gender equality is essential for Nepal to achieve sustainable development. Every women and girl should be treated with dignity and respect.”

UNFPA has been working in Nepal since 1970 in support of sexual and reproductive health and women’s rights.

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UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

Contact Information:

Kathmandu: Sudha Pant, tel.+ 977 1 552 3637, sudha.pant@undp.org

Bangkok: William A. Ryan, tel.+ 66 2 288 2446, ryanw@unfpa.org