Bandana Rana, who was elected the member of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on June 21, has said that she will use her position to make sure that the government carries out the recommendations made by the United Nations’ body.

 “CEDAW is a huge platform to raise our voices and ensure rights of Nepali women. Having a national representative will also make the government more accountable in carrying out its duty as a state party more efficiently,” she said on Tuesday.

Rana is the first Nepali to be elected in the 11-member CEDAW committee. She had secured 106 votes, finishing sixth among the 25 nominees vying for membership in the committee, in the election that was held in New York.

 Rana, who began her career 30 years ago as a journalist for Nepal Television, has been working as a gender right activists for the past 25 years.