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Civil Society and NGO Reports, Papers and Statements

South Asia: Human Rights Index 2008
Asian Centre for Human Rights, August 2008
This report indexes the human rights records of the member States of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) - the subregional inter-governmental organisation. Indexing human rights records of the governments is a controversial exercise as there are no foolproof or universally acceptable yardsticks to measure records. Given the scale of the task, this report is not exhaustive but rather aims to chronicle patterns, practices and the implications for the concerned countries. While this report is an index, it also demonstrates that all South Asian countries have serious human rights problems. A regional analysis also shows a high level of commonality in human rights patterns. Discrimination is endemic, institutionalised and in many cases legalised. Human rights violations are integral to counterinsurgency operations conducted by the military in the sub-region. Human rights are routinely violated in police detention including the routine use of torture. National security laws tend to be poorly framed, routinely abused and used as blanket cover to silence legitimate dissent rather than tackle security. These are not the assertions of one organisation but repeatedly confirmed by national and regional and international NGOs and the various UN bodies established to monitor human rights.

Countries in the report: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

To read the full report, please click HERE

Appeasing China: Restricting the Rights of Tibetans in Nepal
Human Rights Watch, July 2008
This report documents violations of human rights by the Nepali authorities, particularly the police, against Tibetans involved in demonstrations in Kathmandu, Nepal. These include unnecessary and excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest, sexual assault of women during arrest, arbitrary and preventive detention, beatings in detention, unlawful threats to deport Tibetans to China, and unnecessary restrictions on freedom of movement in the Kathmandu Valley. Nepali authorities have also harassed Tibetan and foreign journalists and Nepali, Tibetan, and foreign human rights defenders.

To read the full report, please click HERE

Beyond Firewood: Fuel Alternatives and Protection Strategies for Displaced Women and Girls
Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, March 2006
In the report, Beyond Firewood: Fuel Alternatives and Protection Strategies for Displaced Women and Girls, the Women’s Commission outlines alternative fuel options, firewood collection techniques and other protection strategies that should be used in displaced and refugee situations worldwide.To be effective, however, all strategies aimed at reducing the threat to women and girls should be accompanied by the development of income-generation activities. Women and girls must be able to earn a living in ways other than collecting or selling firewood.

Nepal Case Study

An Appeal for Human Rights and Democracy: Political Situation in Nepal and Threat to Rights of Women
Shanti Malika, Nepal, February 2005

Our News: Media Monitoring on Women and Armed Conflict in Nepal
Institute of Human Rights Communication (IHRICON), Nepal, January 2005

Indigenous Women in Nepal
Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, 2005

Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls in Nepal
Amnesty International, Stop Violence Against Women Campaign, 2004/5

Caught in the Middle: Mounting Violations Against Children in Nepal's Armed Conflict
Watchlist, January 2005
However, anecdotal reports communicated to Watchlist and local news stories indicate the existence of sexual violence against girls by security forces and by Maoists. Additionally, AI reports that it is receiving an increasing number of cases of violence against women and girls, including cases of females shot dead by security forces, allegedly following rape...
Maoists recruit and use both boys and girls. In one example of recruitment of girls, Rajdhani reported in March 2004 that the incidence of Maoists recruiting girls under age 18 in the Karnali region is increasing. The article, “Thousands of Women in Karnali Region Undergoing Military Training,” explains that parents are sending girls rather than boys, who are considered more valuable, to the Maoists in order to fulfill their obligation of sending at least one child from each household...

Trapped by Inequality: Bhutanese Refugee Women in Nepal
Human Rights Watch, 24 September 2003
Bhutanese women who are living as refugees in Nepal, many for more than a decade, confront not only the hardship of life in refugee camps, but also the injustice of gender-based violence and discrimination. Refugee women and girls have reported rape, sexual assault, polygamy, trafficking, domestic violence, and child marriage in the camps. Women suffering domestic violence are unable to obtain safety or their full share of humanitarian aid because of discriminatory refugee registration procedures and inadequate protection measures. The registration system also prevents married refugee women from applying for repatriation or rations independently and prohibits them from registering children not fathered by a refugee.

Women and Leadership: Voices for Security and Development
South Asia Partnership Canada, Ottawa, Canada, Forum: 28-29 November 2002, Report: 5 June 2003

Collation of Laws on Women's Political Participation
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, 2003
This collation provides a record of existing bills, laws and regulations and rules that affect and/or address women's greater participation in Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. In each country report there is an assessment ofthe substantivve formulation of law and its impact on women's political participation. order this publication

UNSC Resolution 1325: South Asian Women's Perspectives
Nicola Johnston, International Alert, June 2003
The South Asia consultation on Women, Peace and Security facilitated by International Alert (IA) forms part of the Gender Peace Audit Project of IA’s Gender and Peacebuilding Programme. It was the fourth consultation of its kind facilitated by IA. The preceding consultations were held in Nepal, the Caucasus and Nigeria in 2002. These consultations aim to bridge the gap between global policy and the practical realities faced by women in regional, national and post-conflict contexts. The outcomes of these consultations are disseminated to global and regional policy-makers for the development and refinement of international policies and practices relating to women, peace and security through the Global Policy Project (IA’s Gender and Peacebuilding Programme). The consultations generate and contribute to local, national and regional advocacy activities and strategies to address issues and concerns that affect women’s peace and security.

Nepalese Women's Involvement in Peace Talks and all Decision-Making
The Institute for Human Rights Communication Nepal, Press Release, March 2003

A Letter from Nepalese Women's Peace Organizations
Jigriti Bridging Worlds Workshop, Kathmandu, January 2003

Security Issues Faced by Women During the Conflict in Nepal
Shobha Gautam, South Asia Partnership Canada, 28 November 2002

Discriminatory Laws in Nepal and their Impact on Women
Forum for Women, Law and Development, 2000
order this report

Summary of the Pilot Research on the Inheritance Rights of Women: Implications of Cross-Border Marriages, Public Perception of the Will System
Sancharika Samuha, July 2001

UN Documents

Nepalese Women Suffer from Ill Health, Poverty, Legal Discrimination Women's Anti-Discrimination Committee Told
United Nations, Press Release on CEDAW process, 1999

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
A/54/38,paras.117-160, 1 July 1999

Government Statements and Reports

State Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
Government of Nepal, 20th Session, 1999

Books, Journals and Articles

Armed Conflicts, Peace and Women in Nepal
Kamala Sarup, September 2003
There is an overriding agreement that the lack of sustainable political, economic and social development with no real changes in the lives of the women, children , poor and vulnerable has been the most significant contributing factor to the conflict situation in Nepal. While Nepalese women's organizations can play key roles in information gathering, peace building, and can help the government city to move from simply responding to crises to preventing their occurrence.

Violence, Conflict and Women
Kamala Sarup. The People's Review, 8-13 January 2003

Sahachari (Woman friend)
Asmita, Kathmandu

Booklet on Women's Right to Poroperty
Asmita, Kathmandu

Red Light Traffic: The Trade in Nepali Girls
ABC/Nepal. Re/Productions, Issue 2, April 1999

Shadow over Shangri-la: a woman's quest for freedom
Durga Pokhrel and Anthony Willett. Washington: Brassey's, 1996