The resolution motion registered by 29 lawmakers to prepare curriculum against violence against women and rape has been presented at the House of Representatives (HoR) on Friday.
Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) lawmaker Binda Pandey, who proposed the motion, presented it at the start of HoR meeting on Friday. "These criminal incidents have not occurred during the reign of one government or another, and have occurred under every government. We people's representatives must make efforts for a violence-free society. Rapists do not have the right to live. There should be provision of life-long imprisonment of such perpetrators," Pandey said presenting the motion. "There are complaints that the government is not serious toward the victims. The perpetrators are provided allowance in the jail by the government. The government must also act as guardian of the victims."
Other lawmakers have started to speak on the subject after Pandey presented the motion.
The motion supported by 28 others including those from the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) was registered in the HoR on July 5. It was scheduled in the probable list for July 16. But it was removed by Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara on request of Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli.
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 was included in the probable list for Monday but was not presented on that day. It has finally been presented on Friday.
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.
