National Bal Kachahari 2018

National level stakeholder dialogue, National Bal Kachahari 2018 was organized on November 19, 2018 in Kathmandu. It was the penultimate event continuation of the campaign 2018 titled, “AWASAR: We are the Future” campaign. The Kachahari centered on ‘strategic solutions’ for ending child marriage and promote child rights as per the National Strategy on Ending Child Marriage 2072 along with assimilation of the key spirit of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Child, and Children’s Act 2018. It remained effective for bridging the gap among the stakeholders for declaring consolidated effort from the common platform to end child marriage and protect child rights in the country.

Hon’ble Tham Maya Thapa, Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens was the chief guest in the program whereas Hon’ble Anup Raj Sharma, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission and Rekha Thapa, Prominent Actor, Anti-Child Marriage Campaigner and Campaign Ambassador were guests. Major discussing issues in the program were child protection, its challenges, policy gaps, implementation hurdle will be discussed during the Kachahari. The program was chaired by Ratna Bahadur Shahi, Treasurer, KIRDARC Nepal. Representatives from government bodies, child rights activists, CSOs including child clubs and child networks, teachers, journalists, students took part in the program.
Key note presentations were presented in the program.

Hon’ble Mohna Ansari, Member National Human Rights Commission presented key note on “quality education and empowerment of young and adolescent girls”. Upendra Keshari Neupane, Senior Advocate presented major issues incorporated in Children’s Act 2075. Tarak Dhital, Former Executive Director, Central Child Welfare Board (CCWB) presented key note on “Child Protection Mechanisms and Service Delivery”. Milan Dharel, Assistance Professor, Kathmandu University, School of Law presented key note on “Participation of Families and Communities and their Mobilization in Reducing Child Marriage”. Madhu Dawadi, Child Rights Activist, CWIN presented key note on “child rights in Nepal: Child protection, child marriage, and child labor”. Along with key note presentations, panel discussions were also carried out addressing key queries from the floor. Major issues in the presentations and panel discussion were concerned with the following major themes i.e. quality education and empowerment of the girls, participation of family and community and their mobilization, service delivery concerning with children, improvisation of law and policies and their implementation related to child rights.