Press Release
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Honourable Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, participated in the Women Foreign Ministers’ Meeting hosted by the Hon. Mélanie Joly P.C., M.P., Foreign Minister of Canada and the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, JP, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica in Toronto on 19-20 September 2024. 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, Hon. Foreign Minister Dr. 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. Hon. Foreign Minister Dr. Deuba stressed 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. She also 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.
During the second session, Honourable Foreign Minister 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.
During the Meeting, Hon. Foreign Minister Dr. Deuba was accompanied by Ambassador of Nepal to Canada, H.E. Mr. Bharat Raj Paudyal and other members of her delegation.
On the sidelines of the Women Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Honourable Foreign Minister Dr. Deuba had a bilateral meeting with the Honourable Foreign Minister of Romania, Her Excellency 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 others country and promoting welfare and interests of Nepali migrant workers in Romania.
Later today, Honourable Foreign Minister Dr. 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, Honourable Foreign Minister also received insights from the community leader and NRNA representatives on the challenges of Nepali young students that jump immediately after completion of + two education in Nepal to study abroad without adequate preparation and sufficient understanding of the courses, prospects and employability.
Later in the evening, Foreign Minister Dr. Deuba gave interview to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Nepali diaspora run Kanti TV in Toronto.
The Honourable Foreign Minister Dr. Deuba will be leaving Canada for New York tomorrow morning.
Embassy of Nepal
Ottawa
20 September 2024