Distinguished Leaders,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank Women Political Leaders Forum for presenting me with this prestigious WPL Trailblazer Award 2022. This is an absolute honour !
In this important Forum that has brought together women leaders from across the sectors, I can see women and girls in all their diversity; women who have broken the glass ceiling and are an inspiration for others around the world, today and for generations to come. To be awarded by such an important forum is a matter of great satisfaction and at the same time a realization of greater sense of responsibility.
I commend WPL for creating an ecosystem to build, enhance, and further strengthen the impactful relationship amongst women leaders who are at the forefront of dealing with global issues and challenges. This is truly a mission to build a ‘society where no one is left behind.’
Dear friends,
Like everywhere in the world, we in Nepal also have a long history of struggle for gender equality and participation of women. Our constitution today ensures at least one-third representation of women in the national parliament. Out of the above thirty-five thousand currently elected representatives of Nepal’s local governments, forty percent are women. We have achieved gender parity among school-going children. Today, 98 percent of all Nepalese children, girls and boys, go to school.
We have concentrated our efforts to provide basic and maternal health care to the Nepalese mothers. Certain links are missing in many areas, but we are determined to make further progress, building on what we have laboriously achieved so far. Nothing is going to stop us!
Moving ahead, we will have to work harder to enhance the capacity of our women leaders, to make current level of inclusion more result-oriented and achieve gender equality in its real sense. Through this global forum, I sincerely thank the international community and friends around the world for standing by us in our journey and expect similar cooperation in the coming days.
Nepal is now right at the doorstep of the fourth inclusive national elections in a row, which are scheduled for November 20. We now are right at the doorstep of the fourth inclusive national elections, which arescheduled for November 20. Therefore, when my friends, colleagues and well-wishers from around the world tell me that Nepal has emerged as a successful example of gender equality, I often say it’s been an outcome of our collective struggle and thousands of women have worked for decades to make this happen. This Traliblazeraward has recognized our movement and inspired us to measure newer heights tomake this world more inclusive, just and equal. In the honour of all Nepali women, I accept this Trailblazer award with all my humility and thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you !
09 November, 2022
Reykjavik, Iceland