Kathmandu, March 8, 2017: More than 100 young men on Wednesday, March 8, held a march in Lalitpur expressing their commitment against violence against women and girls.
More than a dozen youth organisations had joined hands to hold the ‘Men’s March: Men against Violence against Women and Girls’ on the occasion of the 107th International Women’s Day.
The rally began from Jawalakhel and passed through Pulchowk, Gabahal, and Mangalbazaar before converging into the assembly at the Patan Durbar Square.
Women in almost an equal number had supported the event by joining the concluding assembly. All the men were welcomed with orange colored balloons at the closure session. The color orange is used as a symbol to fight against gender-based violence.
Former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha, also the member of Men Leads Network under the United Nations Secretary General graced the ceremony as the chief guest. On the occasion, Shrestha addressed the gathering, saying real men would never discriminate against and suppress women. “Being born as a man does not necessarily mean that you should belittle the women around you,” he said, adding, “Rather, the opposite is true.”
Youth activists Naren Khatiwada and Tilottam Paudel also addressed the function.
Similarly, youth poets Nawaraj Parajuli and Rubina Shrestha recited their poems against violence against women.
Speaking amidst the ceremony, President of Yuwalaya, Sanjog Thakuri said that the Men’s March is the way to express men’s solidarity with women, and respecting women’s and girls’ right as Human Rights.
Men’s March was first organized in Nepal in 2015 in the initiation of Yuwalaya. Since then it has already been held in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Kavre, Kapilbastu, Doti, and Banke.
Yuwalaya President Thakuri was also awarded $500 from 7 Days of Genius Movement for initiating such a campaign in Nepal, which he donated to Yuwalaya to further scale-up it across various parts of the nation.
