Aagya Khabar
Bardibas

A two-day training program based on General Recommendation No. 39 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), focusing on the rights of indigenous women and girls, began on Saturday in Bardibas, Mahottari.

The training, held at the conference hall of Namobuddha Hotel in Bardibas-1, was inaugurated by Mayor Prahlad Kumar Kshetri of Bardibas Municipality. Speaking at the opening session, Mayor Kshetri emphasized the importance of such awareness-raising programs to ensure the rights of women, especially indigenous women and girls. He said, “Programs like these can be effective in translating the constitutional guarantees of equality and equal opportunity into practice.”

The training is organized by the National Indigenous Women Federation, coordinated by the Madhesh Province Coordination Committee, and supported by the organization Oxfam’s Women Kind.

Facilitators of the program include Sumitra Maharjan, Sumitra Tajpuriya, Asukanti Bhattachan, and Muna Meche from the Indigenous Women Federation. During the sessions, they will discuss the legal aspects of CEDAW, the relevance of General Recommendation No. 39, structural discrimination faced by indigenous women and girls, and their limited access to policy-making at the local level.

The training is being attended by indigenous women, adolescent girls, and human rights activists from various local levels of Mahottari district. According to the organizers, participants will also be informed about the historical background of the CEDAW convention, international practices, and the status of its implementation in Nepal.

The main objective of the program is to develop a clear understanding among participants about their rights and empower them to spread awareness within their communities.

The two-day training will conclude on Sunday.