The resolution motion registered by 29 lawmakers to prepare curriculum against violence against women and rape has returned in the probable schedule on Monday 35 days after it was removed by Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara on request of Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli.
The motion proposed by Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) lawmaker Binda Pandey and supported by 28 others including those from the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) was registered in the House of Representatives (HoR) on July 5. It was scheduled in the probable list for July 16.
The minister concerned must answer once the resolution motion is tabled in the parliament. Minister for Women and Children Tham Maya Thapa had left for the parliament to give answers. But she was asked to return back mid-way after Speaker Mahara removed it from the list on request of PM Oli.
That resolution motion has again been included in the probable list for Monday.
The resolution motion mentioned that the parliament must direct the government to immediately compensate the victims of violence, rape and exploitation, conduct public awareness campaigns at the local and federal levels, and include the issues of social justice in school curriculum.
The government must implement the resolution motion after it is passed.
The motion was earlier stopped by the parliamentary business committee--that includes speaker, and chief whips of all parties in the parliament--from being tabled on request of PM Oli.
A CPN leader close to Oli had told Setopati that the motion was stopped as it was brought without even informing the PM and parliamentary party leader. "It has been stopped after PM said that resolution against violence against women and rape is included in the constitution, the government is also working to ensure that, and it need not be passed from the parliament," the leader had added.
Articles 38 and 39 about the fundamental rights in the constitution mention that no woman or child will be subjected to any kind of physical, mental, sexual, psychological or other forms of violence.
Lawmaker Pandey had talked with rape victims including children and women before bringing the motion. "The government gives daily allowance to the rapists even after they are jailed. They are safe inside the prison. The police send the victims to shelters of different NGOs. They asked should the government not do anything for the victims. I brought the resolution motion after that," Pandey added.
