NRNA-NCC Switzerland Women Forum
Report on the celebration of the International Women's Day of 11th March 2017
On behalf of NRNA-NCC Women Forum Switzerland, I would like to inform you on the celebration of
the 107th International Women's Day on 11th March 2017 in Switzerland.
We focused on the Motto of this year's International Women's Day: Be Bold for Change.
I'm glad to report from hearing the comments of our NRNA-NCC members and all our respected
guests that our our program was quite successful. Our special guest Ms Kalpana Rai, NRNA-NCC
Women Coordinator of the U.A.E. shared her experience on supporting Nepalese domestic women
worker in the United Arab Emirates and we also had the opportunity and the honour to welcome
H.E. Mr. Deepak Dhital, our Ambassador of Nepal to Switzerland as participant of our event.
The entire program was moderated by NRNA-NCC Vice President Ms. Seema Gautam.
Opening ceremony
The program started with welcoming our guests with a Khata, the national song of Nepal, a candle
lighting, the welcome message by Ms. Amina Shrestha, member of the Women Forum and a
beautiful song by Diwansi Aryal.
Then followed the welcoming speeches by
- SNS (Swiss-Nepalese Society) President Dr. Markus Ruckstuhl mentioning among other things
his hope that there would be no more International Women's Day be needed in future by reaching
the goal of “Planet 50-50” very soon and adding a historical note that in Europe the staging of the
International Women's Day started on 19 March 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and
Switzerland (present at our celebration were women from Austria, Germany and Switzerland!)
- JSS President Mr. Ram K. Mahato congratulating specially the women for celebrating this day
and presented his best wishes and welcome
- NRNA-NCC President Mr. Heera Bal Gurung explaining his understanding of the Women's Day
motto as a call for the men to change, the men should be bold enough to change by providing
equal space for the women
- Ms. Bindu Pandey-Steinmann, the first Nepalese woman having come to Switzerland, saying
that the presence of H.E. Mr. Deepak Dhital brings brightness to the Women's Day celebration
and also expressing her special welcome to Ms Kalpana Rai and to everybody present.
- Ms Kalpana Rai presenting her as coming from the desert, emphasizing on the still very big
necessity for changing the situation for women in many parts of the world, that quotas are
required, but that she believes in change towards a better and finally equal situation for women
and ending her address with the words “Be a man, be a woman, be brave, be bold and be you”.
- H.E. Mr. Deepak Dhital, Ambassador of Nepal, mentioning that in Nepal already tremendous
changes in favour of women have taken place on the legal level compared to the earlier
situation and that in reality some changes have also taken place but that there remains still a lot to
do to bring all the legal standards into practice, and compared it then with the picture that in earlier
time women were seen and admired only in the sky but now they are down to earth and that the
world can only be changed to the better through equal rights, mutual cooperation and respect.
First information part
- Ms Bijay Bhatta, member of the Women Forum Switzerland, informed on the 2016 supported
NRNA-ICC Women Forum's Uterus Prolapse Treatment project in Dailekh. Through our campaign
of CHF 1.00 per month and some additional donations CHF 2'000.00 could be sent to the Women
Welfare Fund of NRNA in Nepal for this project. The presentation about this project with pictures,
budget and costs was based on the report of Ms Bhoma Limbu, coordinator of the UP Dailekh
project.
- Ms Antara Singh, 2nd secretary of the Nepalese Embassy in Geneva, mentioned with regard to
Women Empowerment and education and awareness among women, that Nepal has experienced
in the past ten years considerable changes in regard to women's rights which can be examples
also for other countries. But we continue to celebrate the International Women's Day because
there are still some problems left, not only in Nepal but also in western countries. Women
Empowerment means not just having a good job and wearing nice clothes, but it also means that
a women's independent decision is recognized by the civil society as well as by the official sector.
- Ms Kalpana Rai, Women Coordinator of the NRNA-NCC in U.A.E., presented her experience with
tackling the problems of Nepalese domestic women worker in the United Arab Emirates, who had
been jailed, had been sick, had been accused of illegal immigration, had become unexpectedly
pregnant, had been cheated by the labour agent and/or the employer and left without any means
etc. In order to improve the situation of the workers fundamentally she suggested twenty-two
measures, e.g. such as
in Nepal
abroad
• Ensure awareness programmes for workers by government and recruitment agencies
• Create internal and local employment in Nepal
• Bilateral agreements with major labour receiving countries
• Establish Rehabilitation Centres for physically, sexually or mentally suffering retired workers
• Provide shelter house places with sufficient rooms and fully furnished
• at least one female staff in each Embassy ( e.g. Saudi –Arabia )
• Consulate Service when there is no Embassy ( Lebanon )
There was a vivid discussion about this topic
As a special memory of this 2017 Women's Day celebration a collection was organized as a symbolic
support for medical treatment and for return costs to Nepal in favour of women worker in the
U.A.E. who are in trouble. CHF 1'000.00 could be collected and are sent to the NRNA-NCC Women
Forum of the U.A.E.
Inbetween: Tea / Coffee with Cake was served
Second information part
- Ms. Subha Elmer-Lama, Women Coordinator of NRNA-NCC Switzerland, welcomed all to the
celebration of the 107th International Women's Day, and called upon the women to “Be Bold for
Change” meaning that they should keep going on even in difficult situations and to dare to take
risks for the achievement of new goals, based on self-reliance, consciousness and endurance.
- She informed about the NRNA-ICC Women Forum's projects planned for this years IWD in Nepal
the projects will be continued during 2017
- She then presented her report about NRNA-NCC Women Forum's activities from January 2016
until February 2017, all together ten events / projects were listed
- The final presentation was about the “Ashadeep” projects, presented at the IWD 2016 by
Dr. Meena Singh Kakda. For these projects in Koontabeshi Kavre-Palanchok the Women Forum
Switzerland collected 2016 a total amount of CHF 5'600.00. Out of this amount were allocated:
• for the roof of a new women centre CHF 1'200.00
• for a Buddha statue with “Ashan” and roof CHF 1'600.00
• for a literacy program CHF 1'000.00
• for food for Deurali primary school CHF 600.00
• for food for Dhapasi children home CHF 200.00
• for food for a home with HIV-affected children in Kathmandu CHF 1'000.00
These projects have successfully been implemented with the guidance of Dr. Meena Singh Kakda
Our gratitude goes to Dr. Meena Singh Kakda and Koontabeshi Kavre women's group
Navajyoti Mahila Samuha lead by Ms Nirmala Shahi
- Ms. Subha Elmer-Lama, closed the official part of the day with her vote of thanks to all who had
contributed to the successful celebration of the IWD and especially also to all who had joined this
event having even come from as far as Germany and Austria
- It followed then an information by Mr.Kamal Bhatta, “Honorary Public Relations Representative
for Switzerland of Nepal Tourism Board”, on Tourism Promotion for Nepal
The event ended with dances performed by Ms Gelmi Sherpa from Germany (many thanks to her)
followed by dinner and music with dance for everybody until 21'30h.
I personally would like to thank the entire family of NRNA-NCC members and all the other individuals
who supported our program.
My very special thanks go to Seema Gautam for moderating the event and booking the hall, to Bijaya
Bhatta for preparing and presenting the information about the health program UPP, to Pramod Bhatta
and Sukra Shrestha for shopping and taking responsibility for the hall, to Hira Lal Shrestha for the
music and sound system, to Dewansi Aryal for her nice song, to Sanju Tamang for selling the drinks,
to Mani Ram Tamang and Bishnu Gurung for cooking a delicious food and to Kishor Rana and Gauri
Bartaula for providing cooking pots and gas stoves.
Switzerland 21st March 2017
Subha Elmer-Lama
NRNA-NCC Switzerland Women Coordinator