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4 December 2007, Katmandu, In recognizing and identifying the issues and challenges faced by women from marginalized groups, on 4 December 2007 "Women's Tribunal against Poverty and Violence" was organized by. 300 active community women leaders from 40 districts of Nepal representing various marginalized groups giving their evidences on how present developmental activities has not been able to address their needs and demands. Their evidences further highlighted how present developmental efforts are further marginalizing and encoring their means of survival. Their evidences has made clear to everyone on how Poverty itself is acting as violence against women and creates another cycle of violence, marginalization and poverty. Women from different strata of community , groups and various areas of country shared their experiences, pain, struggle and their movement in regard to social exclusion, marginalization, poverty and various forms of violence. These experiences caused a positive structure to everyone at the same time their struggle to overcome these had provided some ray of hope to everyone present in the tribunal. Their experience represented by social development, academics, students and youth, mass media and politics. The outcome was a verdict that was given by the jury that stated that government has failed to provide women the right to work, right to livelihood, right to food, lack of primary health care facilities, lack of social security and safety mechanism, gross violations of women rights, participation of women in development plans and policies and lack of space for women to access justice and assert their rights.
The tribunal was inaugurated by five community leaders and special guests who are eminent South Asian Feminists representing various women movements. Also the guests from South Asia expressed their solidarity on women movement in Nepal and asked to continue the struggle till the rights of women is ensured. They also added that the main struggle is to advocate and fight for our rights and this needs to be continued unless our rights are guaranteed.
Dr. Renu Rajbhandari, Chairperson of Women's Rehabilitation Centre ( WOREC Nepal) highlighted the concept of the tribunal emphasizing more on solidarity among the women to take the women issues collectively in the forefront of national policies, programmes, budgets and efforts She added that this tribunal was proposed as an opportunity for grassroots women leaders across the country to come together and make a strong statement on the ways in which the policies and programs of the government are being experienced by women who face acute social and economic discrimination - including dalits, indgeinous, religious minotrity groups, women with disabilities, single women ( widows), and other rare and excluded tribes and groups.
Dr. Meena Acharya, another prominent economist and women rights activist stressed that there is a need of structure to end all forms of Violence Against Women which is a clear call that the revival of the women's movement has finally begun.
In the afternoon, there were six parallel workshops which were planned in form of tribunal and facilitated by the theme leaders who themselves are the leaders and expert in their areas. In each theme one to two members from Jury were also present as quite observer. They have observed the process and supported the theme leaders and women who shared their case studies.The workshops was conducted under six important themes; Right to Work and Livelihoods; Food Security, Rights to land and Natural Resources; Health and Education; Governance and Participation; Social Justice and Infrastructure; Sustainable Peace Building and Restructuring of State which were aimed to draw lessons from the past experiences and how it has benefited women living in a marginalized level and also the flaws and the interventions that have been overlooked and approaches of policies and programs that were implemented in the context of the National Common Minimum Program and the National Development Goals. The community women leaders also shared their challenges and problems through various cases that were heard and translated by the jury themselves.
The respective theme leaders presented their report on the basis of the workshops and the cases shared.
The outcome of the various workshops are as follows; Health and Education, under health it was concluded that lack of access to information on the various provisions on health facilities denies the opportunity to use the government services; women do not power and control over their bodies such that they are not allowed to make a decision on when they choose to get pregnant and also the number of children they want so mostly women need to reproduce more children putting health risks on them. There are high chances of women with prolapsed uterus given the intense burden of household chores that they have to bear throughout the life.
Under education, Patriarchal attitude and structure has led to gender discrimination and the state has failed to fulfill its responsibilities to provide the education to women resulting in the lack qualifications, and are forced to pursue work in the informal sector ( entertainment sector) which is even more vulnerable with alarming rate of labor sexploitation;
On the Right to Work and Livelihoods, Increasing domestic violence, lack of access to citizenship and state services, untouchability, disability, lack of property rights, poverty are some examples to show how women are denied rights to livelihood. However women have managed to seek support from various NGOs who have supported their movement and assisted to address their difficulties with livelihood programmes.
On Food Security and Access to Natural Resources, Women should have ownership of land for safe housing and food security; there should be a provision of identification card for Mukta kamaiya women. Likewise employment opportunities for women should be created and also equal wages for the same work for men and women should be guaranteed and Special rights for disabled women who are engaged in land policies should be provided.
Social justice and infrastructure, low wages, domestic violence, forced marriage, unequal wages are some of the underlying factors that has socially and economically disadvantaged women. Since the Government has failed to provide the structure that can liberate the women for self determination, Women therefore have demanded the compensation, access to property access to resources and support for survival and justice.
Under Governance and Participation, due to lack of ownership of land registration certificate, women do not have rights over land, access to safe water and sanitation, access to electricity. Likewise, Women Human Rights Defenders are also discouraged by the community leaders to advocate for women's right over land rights, discriminatory religious practices and constantly faces insults and intimidations.
Sustainable Peace building and Restructuring of state, it was demanded that Women should have rights to inheritance. Justice, freedom from discrimination and women proportional representation in the Constitution.
After the workshop the cases were presented in front of the jury who gave their verdict in the tribunal. The verdict stated that the government has failed to provide for the rights to work and livelihoods, of extremely poor, marginalized groups, differently abled people and women. The state failed in providing right to land for housing and right to food for sustainable livelihood. Women are denied right to citizenship and independent identity especially for Badi and Disabled women in order to have ownership over property. Likewise women are also denied right to opportunity and equal wages for equal work and in safe working condition without fear or being exploited and earning unequal wages.
The state should also be responsive to human rights violation and allow easy access to law enforcement and structures. The state has also ignored to establish safe house in all the regions who faces constant violence and do not have a temporary shelter to turn to.
This unique tribunal with such diverse participation has not only found the government guilty for denying rights to women but also ignoring the constant demand from women from various marginalized groups.
Therefore it is needed to show the state that how and in which condition women are living their lives and government is inactive in such conditions .To express the massage of deprived women the committee is going to organize a meeting with political parties leaders, government and other feminist leaders to sensitize the policy makers, parliamentarians to take their steps to address these issues on which the verdict prepared in the tribunal will be present and video of tribunal will be shown in the meeting.
And also The 'Women's Charter Against Poverty Social Exclusion and Violence' will be released to the public and the media at the end of the Tribunal, and disseminated to the policy makers / policy making groups as an outcome of the event. It will also be handed over to the Prime Minister of Nepal and Leaders of major political parties for necessary action.