Women lawyers adapt 30-point declaration in Birgunj

The 30th national conference of women lawyers concluded on Saturday by adopting a 30-point Birgunj declaration.

The declaration adopted by the conference that took place in Birgunj Metropolitan City on February 24-25 highlighted the professional rights and welfare, capacity, and security of women lawyers.

Among other charters incorporated in the declaration are formulating gender and professional safety policy for addressing gender-related issues and facilitating an environment for the entrance and retention of women in the legal sector and enhancing their competence.

The Birgunj declaration has also called for developing and effectively implementing a concrete action plan on different affairs, including the social security of women lawyers, undertaking a survey on the challenges to the entry of women lawyers in the profession and their retention, and addressing the issues put forth by the report.

In the declaration, the women lawyers demanded professional competence enhancement and theme specialized training as well as basic legal training for the new entrants and refresher training for all legal practitioners.

Framing a plan of action with implementing mechanisms for the career development of women lawyers was also highlighted in the declaration.

The conference called for the government to carry out a fair investigation into the incidents of crime against women and children and ensure victims' access to justice.

Various themes including the role of women lawyers for an independent judiciary, women's participation in a federal structure, professional challenges, the status of access to justice for violence survivors, and free legal aid were discussed at the conference.

As many as 400 women lawyers from across the country participated in the conference. ---