Nepal is a country where there are more women than men. In the political arena, the state has reserved 33 percent seats for women, but the various laws, rules, and regulations on women's rights and gender equality are very weak and confined just on paper. Today is the 10th edition of International widows Day, welcome to the June 23 of this year.
The United Nations General Assembly declared June 23 of each year as International Single Women's Day in December 2010. The celebrations began on June 23, 2011. The United Nations observes 23 June as International Widows Day (resolution A/RES/65/189) since 2011, to draw attention to the voices and experiences of widows and to galvanize the unique support that they need.
Losing a partner is painful, the pain gets magnified when a series of social stigma, discrimination, and long term struggle appears in front. The pandemic has just worsened the situation where a devastating human loss has now left tens and thousands of women newly widowed across the globe. Just at this time, the majority of those newly widowed women are deprived of their socio-economic equality and family support, their livelihood and jobs are undergoing through a very tough situation.
Today, countries and societies around the world are realizing the fact that single women should be promoted for the sake of an egalitarian society, long-term development, and gender equality and justice.
The government of Nepal has also set up an emergency fund for the empowerment of single women in Nepal. This decision was passed by the cabinet meeting on Jestha 9th, 2070 BS. The regulations have been brought in such a way as to provide direct relief to the poor single women, widows, divorced, unmarried women who have completed 35 years of age, missing their husbands for more than 5 years and those who have been separated from their husbands even if they have received their property right (Ansabanda).
According to the latest United Nations figures, about 245 million single women and their 500 million children worldwide suffer from various forms of suffering. Of them, more than 80 million women are forced to endure sexual violence. According to Nepal's Census-2068, there are 600,000 single women in Nepal.
Nepali society has repeatedly violated the dignity of single women, accusing single women, humiliating them, accusing them of witchcraft, and many other instances of inhumane violence from their own families. There is an urgent need to increase vocational training, livelihood enhancement programs, and other measures of economic empowerment to increase the access of single women to the mainstream of equality in Nepal.
Respect and protection of the human rights of single women are also the responsibility of all of us. It is essential to respect the dignity of single women to build an egalitarian and dignified society, meaningful wishes.
Suyog Dhakal
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