Kathmandu, September 11
The House of Representatives’ Women and Social Affairs Committee has directed the government to set up helpdesks at holding centres to ensure the safety of women, children and other at-risk groups in flood-affected areas.
According to committee chair Akriti Awasthi, the committee’s meeting on Friday directed the government to establish helpdesks and designate contact persons.
She said there was a risk of people exploiting the sensitive disaster situation to lure, pressure or make false promises to victims under the guise of offering jobs, relief, transport home, or passage to a safer location.
The committee concluded that the safety of citizens staying at holding centres was particularly sensitive in areas including Betrawati and the Trishuli corridor, Timure, Khattekhola, Syafrubesi, Hakubesi and Mailung in Rasuwa.
The committee directed that effective safety and protection measures be put in place, noting that women, adolescent girls, children, persons with disabilities and other at-risk groups could face risks of sexual exploitation, gender-based violence, abuse, human trafficking and other forms of violence and oppression.
The committee has directed the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, and the Ministry of Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security, to run helpdesks at relief camps targeting at-risk groups and to immediately mobilise local-level women’s cells actively and effectively.
Committee Chair Awasthi said the committee had also directed that a mechanism be ensured to maintain confidentiality of complaints and information received from victims, provide legal assistance, and make safe referrals to relevant agencies as needed.
The committee has also decided to form subcommittees along thematic clusters for study, research and coordination on issues concerning women, children, gender and sexual minorities, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens.
According to Chair Awasthi, the subcommittees are being formed to mobilise committee members with relevant expertise, leadership capacity and experience into the respective clusters so they can conduct studies and offer necessary recommendations.
She said the subcommittees would be formed on a party basis.
