Kathmandu,laingik samanata sunishchit garna ka laagi kanun ma sanshodhan ko avasyakta. KATHMANDU: Parliamentarians, advocates and women rights activists today said the Bill to amend some Nepal acts will ensure gender equality and end all kinds of gender-based violence prevailing in our society. They said that the proposed Bill had made numerous amendments in various acts so that the acts would become more women-friendly and the stereotype portrait of women would change in our society. Speaking at a discussion on ‘Bill to amend some Nepal acts to maintain gender equality and end GBV’ organised by USAID, National Democratic Institute and Didibahini, advocate Sabin Shrestha, executive director, Forum For Women, Law and Development, today said that the main aim of the bill was to improve the legal provisions to ensure gender equality and end gender-based violence. He said, “The Bill has made amendments to 31 different acts including the Muluki Ain.” He said that the Bill has proposed numerous changes in various acts to maintain gender equality to end all kinds of GBV and ensure women-friendly acts. He informed that it assured property rights to daughters even after marriage. He said, “The Bill has also scrapped certain provisions that were gender-biased.”Similarly, the word Swasni Manis has been changed to Mahila (Woman) in the proposed Bill, he added. Senior advocate and parliamentarian Radheshyam Adhikari said that the proposed Bill has talked of increasing the fine and jail term for the accused, which is not rational. He said, “Increment of fine and jail term for any crime should be logical, but it seems that it was just increased without any scientific basis,” adding, “Social transformation was not possible with the increment in jail term.” Nirmala Sharma, president, Sancharika Samuha, sought the need to spread massive awareness programmes across the country regarding amendment in the acts for gender equality. She said, “Due to lack of awareness and knowledge, despite having laws, many women are suffering. Many acts are on the pipeline to maintain gender equality, but people have no idea about it in our community thus it has to be publicised among the population so that they can understand and apply it.”