"The rights of girls and women in Nepal are routinely violated throughout their lives"  Peter Bashford, Chairman Asha-Nepal

Of a total population of 27 million, over 12 million are under 18, and nearly one million of those are orphans

31% of children over 5 are in child labour

 Up to 12,000 girls each year are trafficked into prostitution in India and domestic slavery in the Middle East

The average female life expectancy is 62. The average life expectancy of girls forced into prostitution is 30

In a UNICEF Study on Violence Against Children, 2006, of approximately 4,000 children interviewed, 18% had been sexually abused

The male literacy rate in over-15s is 63%. In females it is 35%

73% of females enrol in primary school; only 42% enrol in secondary school. These figures don’t reflect actual attendance, which is far less, as girls are often co-opted to work at home, cleaning, washing, cooking, collecting firewood, cutting grass, feeding livestock, working in the fields

31% of the population are below the poverty line

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was created in 1989 to make sure that the world recognised that children have human rights. These are: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child.

Signatories must prevent the abduction or trafficking of children and their economic exploitation, and protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.They must ensure that children under 18 do not take a direct part in hostilities, and uphold the right of the child to an education that develops the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities.

Children are entitled to the freedom to express opinions and to have a say in matters affecting their social, economic, religious, cultural and political life. Participation rights include the right to express opinions and be heard. Nepal signed and ratified the Convention in 1990 – before King Gyanendra took over and the Maoists took a stranglehold on the country. Nevertheless, the nation has flouted the Convention on all the above counts. With much talk since the April 2006 Uprising of a “New Nepal” and the hope of a true democracy, will a new elected government ensure that children’s rights are, at last, made a priority?