The government has run six months past the deadline to submit its periodic report on Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw).

The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare was supposed to submit the sixth periodic report to the UN committee in July last year. However, the ministry has not finalised the report which needs to be endorsed by the Cabinet to dispatch it to the UN.

“We could not finalise the report due to last year’s devastating earthquake. We have already written to the Cedaw committee and explained them the reason for the delay,” said Radhika Aryal, joint secretary at the ministry. “They have asked us to do it as soon as possible.”

Aryal said that the report will also incorporate impact of the disaster on women and measures being taken to protect them, and also the rights that the constitution has ensured regarding women.

Countries that have ratified Cedaw have to submit a periodic review to the committee every four years, explaining the implementation status of the rights in

the country. The civil society submits a separate report pointing out where the government has failed to fulfil its commitment.

The civil society has expressed dissatisfaction at the government’s delay in submitting the report. “Only after seeing the government’s report can we actually begin our work by pointing out the actual implementation status of the rights. The objective of the shadow report is to complement the government’s report. We urge the government to finish the report soon,” said advocate Sapana Pradhan Malla.

The civil society’s report will incorporate three new themes—disaster and its effect on women, situation of women’s right to information and status on women on transitional justice where women have either suffered a lot or have not had much access to.

The report usually covers right against torture, women’s political right, reproductive right, right to work and employment, right to education and health, among others.