KARNALI, June 1: The second Karnali Daughters Conference-2083 BS concluded in Birendranagar of Surkhet on Sunday, issuing a 10-point Karnali Declaration, aimed at empowering daughters.
Based on the submissions and recommendations of the conference participants who gathered on May 30-31, the Declaration calls for an end to child marriage, gender-based discrimination, and other harmful practices that remain constant barriers for building a bright future for daughters. The governments at the federal and local levels have been urged to address these concerns through the implementation of comprehensive strategies and action plans.
Menstrual discrimination is another concern identified by the gathering that highlighted the need for a three-tier government towards ensuring dignified menstruation.
Heart to Heart with Malvika
The Karnali Province government and 79 local levels within the province have been urged to implement scholarship schemes specially targeting daughters, make existing programmes more effective and productive, and ensure the construction of quality and inclusive physical infrastructure in community and institutional schools.
The Declaration calls for legal, educational and structural reforms to curb misuse of technology and technology-assisted violence and abuse against girls.
Adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health education at school and community levels; promotion of useful life skills and transformative education; the prompt reconstruction of schools damaged by the November 3, 2023 earthquake that had its epicenter at Ramidanda of Jajarkot, and the guarantee of effective teaching-learning activities are among the demands put forth by the participants before the authorities concerned.
Likewise, they called for the implementation of promotions at local and community levels to create an atmosphere conducive to daughters' active participation in sports and extra activities, drawing the attention of the authorities concerned to the implementation of the submissions presented by the first Karnali Daughters Conference, held on May 10-13, 2025.
The gathering, organised by the Jyoti Foundation in collaboration and coordination with the Social Development Ministry, Karnali Province, was attended by over 250 daughters. The participants included Plus Two students from each of 79 local levels in the Karnali Province, as well as representatives from the Raute, Raji, Kusunda, Badi, Bote, sexual and gender minorities, and other marginalized, excluded, and endangered communities.
According to Foundation Chair Jyoti Katuwal, 85 girls shared stories about their life struggles during the event.
Karnali Province Chief Yagya Raj Joshi, former Chief Minister Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, Nepali Communist Party Karnali Province Assembly parliamentary party Mangal Bahadur Shahi, CPN-UML parliamentary party member Jeet Bahadur Malla, ministers and other Province Assembly members, the Chief Secretary and province secretaries, heads of security agencies, chiefs and representatives of non-governmental organizations, and media personnel also participated in the conference.
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