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Pathway to Decent Work for women

Published: 25 March 2011
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 UNI Nepal Liaison Council (UNI NLC) women committee held the Interaction program on the topic of “equal access to education, training and science and technology; pathway to the decent work for women on 25th March, Friday in Kathmandu, Nepal.



All the committee members and the other female participants from all the affiliate union of UNI NLC were there. Altogether there were fifty participants during the interaction program.



The program was chaired by Meena Neupane, the President of UNI NLC women committee. Several guests form the UNI NLC and the affiliate unions were invited and special guest was with us. She was Monica Ramesh, from ASK (association for stimulating know how) India, who had come here in Nepal for the research on migrant workers.



Monica shared with us the problems the working women had in India, which were similar to those in Nepal and in South Asia. She said, there were several cultural and traditional constraints not allowing women to work freely but only few of the women were lucky to have supportive families and husbands. She also added that to ensure more women in the world of service and to ensure the decent work for women, women should be educated and empowered more.



There was a good interaction and all the participants participated well during the entire discussion. Some of the important issues raised during the discussions were as follows:

For the decent work of women, the women should be well educated and empowered with skills and capability enhancement.

The challenging issue for women in Nepal is how to achieve work life balance.

Due to the household chores, women cannot give her hundred percent to the profession because of which she is lagged behind.

To address the work life balance, the foremost is to change in the attitude of their family, especially their husbands. The start can be only through sensitizing their children about the gender issues.

The gender issues and equality tools should be incorporated in the curriculum of the school since the primary level.

The important role to be played by the unions in easing the work life balance for women workers.

Women should also come in front and fight for the right to decent work.



During the discussion about what the unions can do to ensure the work life balance for women workers, the participants raised their voice for the following two facilities;

A Day care center: Where more of the offices are centered, a common day care center can be run by the unions.

Laundry: Laundry facilities in a very reasonable price can also be a good way of lessening the work burden for women.



In the same program, the souvenir published by UNI NLC women committee was inaugurated by UNI NLC President Lekha Prasad Burlakoti. From year 2011, UNI NLC has initiated the publication of the souvenier “WOMEN” where different articles regarding the issues of women will be complied. The souvenir will be published every year on March 8, the International women’s day.



The program was a great success as leaders of different unions were present and they also learnt about the issues of working women and the change they can make through the unions to establish the decent work for the women. This was the way the UNI NLC women committee celebrated the International women’s day.



Dipa Bharadwaj

Vice president

UNI NLC Women committee