Foreign Minister Dr Deuba stresses on ‘whole of’ approach’ to attain gender equality

Ottawa – Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, has stressed on the need of the ‘whole of’ approach to attain gender equality, to protect and uphold a girl from her womb to her tomb with the support of untiring leadership and fearless efforts.

Addressing the Women Foreign Ministers’ meeting at Toronto on Friday, Minister Deuba highlighted the statistical evidence from around the world demonstrating persistent challenges faced by women to reach to the leadership position and attain general and sustained empowerment. She underlined the need to build a strong coalition at local, national as well as global level and move forward to ensure women’s dignified position in the world.

The meeting was held in two sessions: Women in Public Spaces: Politics, Leadership and Governance; and Women Leaders in the Age of Disinformation.

Speaking at the first session of the conference, Foreign Minister Deuba underlined the achievements made by Nepali women since the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal in 2015. She highlighted the success of Nepali women to reach to the top positions as the head of state, chief justice and the Speaker of the parliament in a matter of few years. She also added that the participation of women in public life, such as civil service, security forces and public sector employment opportunities has also increased significantly.

During the second session, Dr. Deuba emphasized the importance of digital technology and tools for women leaders to directly reach out to their constituencies, to raise awareness and spread positive message towards women leadership. She also highlighted the flip side of the digital technology widely used to spread hate, targeted harassment, and disinformation to discourage women from rising in public offices and business. She said that the leadership in developed countries could play an important role to secure technological and financial support to developing countries to bridge the divide, as well as to rein-in the negative by-products of digital technologies for the betterment of society.

The Women Foreign Ministers’ Meeting concluded with a Co-Chairs’ Statement that acknowledges the doubling of women’s political representation across the world in past 25 years and reaffirms commitment to break down barriers and empower the next generation of women leaders. The statement pledges to advance women’s participation in leadership and decision-making and support safe and inclusive spaces for women in politics and public life. The meeting also pledges to intentionally encourage young women across the world to enter politics and public life. The statement expresses concerns with the growing hate and misogynistic discourse found online targeting women, particularly in civic spaces and agreed to address online gender-based violence and prevent gendered disinformation and call on online platforms to take action and increase their accountability.
On the sidelines of the Women Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Foreign Minister Dr. Deuba had a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Minister of Romania, Ms. Luminița-Teodora Odobescu. The two Foreign Ministers exchanged views on further strengthening and expanding mutually beneficial relations between the two countries. They also discussed about the ways to expedite establishing diplomatic representation in each other’s country and promoting welfare and interests of Nepali migrant workers in Romania.

Later in the day, Foreign Minister Deuba received a delegation of Nepali entrepreneurs based in Toronto and discussed the issues related to promoting export of Nepali agricultural and cottage industry produces to Canada as well as other matters of interests to the Nepali diaspora community and students.

Separately, Foreign Minister Deuba also received insights from the community leader and NRNA representatives on the challenges of Nepali young students that jump immediately after completion of plus-two education in Nepal to study abroad without adequate preparation and sufficient understanding of the courses, prospects and employability.

The Conference was hosted by the Mélanie Joly P.C., Foreign Minister of Canada and t Kamina Johnson Smith, JP, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica in Toronto on 19-20 September 2024.