“Due to different reasons, we’re not being able to study. Some of us haven’t even seen the face of a school and most of us who are enrolled in schools aren’t able to go to school regularly,” Pokharel shared, while Pariyar specifically presented the problem that many adolescent girls face. “Girls are basically made to work at home and this keeps them away from schools. Moreover, even at school, there’s sexual harassment, lack of sanitary facilities such as water and proper toilets which keeps us away from school. We don’t want to leave school but we are forced to,” she shared.
Similar problems and urgently needed solutions were discussed by adolescents in front of the policy makers.
The event was attended by adolescents from 35 districts of Nepal, policy makers and development workers including Chief Guest Rabindra K Shakya, the Vice Chair of National Planning Commission (NPC), Bishnu Prasad Nepal, the Joint-Secretary of NPC, Yubaraj Bhusal, Member Secretary of NPC, Hanaa Singer, the UNICEF Nepal representative.
Realizing the fact that adolescence (10 to 19 years) is a specific age group that requires focused attention to meet their specific development needs, help them understand their rights, and engage them in addressing the existing challenges, Government of Nepal has prepared a multi-sectoral National Plan of Action (NPA) for Holistic Adolescent Development. The NPA was drafted and finalized after consulting more than 2,000 adolescents and 1,000 adult stakeholders from all over Nepal. An inter-ministerial task team under the leadership of NPC along with organizations such as UNICEF, UNFPA, CWIN, Save the Children, Plan Nepal, ILO, and Consortium of Organizations Working for Child Participation also supported the process on which many adolescents of Nepal rest their hope.
Hanaa Singer, the UNICEF Nepal Representative handing the Global Education´s Youth Courage Award for Education by the United Nations over to Urmila Chaudhary, who is one of the leading figures of the Freed Kamlari Struggle Committee in Dang. (Bijaya Rai)
During the celebratory event, Urmila Chaudhary from the Freed Kamlari Struggle Committee in Dang was also awarded with the Global Education’s Youth Courage Award for Education by the United Nations. Chaudhary was presented with an hourglass, symbolic of the exemplary leadership and perseverance that she’s shown to stop the clock on the current education emergency.
Ecstatic and speechless, Chaudhary said, “I’ve been through three stages in my life. In the first stage, I was known as ‘the girl who works as a help in other’s houses’. In the second stage I became known as a freed ex-Kamlari and today, I’m known as a youth of Nepal, fighting for education.” Emphasizing on the fact that education is a key that opens up lives, Chaudhary expressed her gratitude and happiness on being awarded.
A shadow play by a group of adolescents from Hatemalo Sanchar followed the launching of the NPA, which showed the current situation of adolescents in Nepal and the expectations of adolescents from the NPA.
The IDGC falls on October 11 and this year, the theme is: Innovating for Girl’s Education.
The campaign theme for IDFC is on lighting the diyo which symbolizes showing commitment from all concerned for making the future of adolescents bright and prosperous. You too can support the empowerment of adolescents in Nepal by lighting a diyo on October 11.
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