National Women Commission Nepal is a constitutional body with the provision of new constitution of Nepal, 2015 (Part 27, other Commission, Article 252-254). The Commission was established on 7th March 2002 and was regulated by National Women Commission Act, 2007 and National Women Commission Regulation, 2009. As defined in the preamble of the act, National Women Commission was established for the protection and promotion of the rights and interests of the women there by effectively include them in the mainstream of development of the women establishing gender justice.
NWC envisions a gender equal society where all women, irrespective of their diversity, can exercise their fundamental human rights; are ensured security, justice, self-identity and freedom; and can live a life with respect and dignity. NWC’s mission is to strengthen and promote a culture of gender equity and equality in organisational policy, structures and practices of all governmental and non-governmental agencies, private sector and in society as a whole by ensuring equal opportunity, equal rights, proportional and meaningful representation, and access to justice and security to all women.
National Women Commission Nepal is in the process of preparing the draft of its new act in compliance with the provisions of the new constitution. According to the constitution National Women Commission will have a chairperson and four members with tenure of six years and could establish its office in provinces as necessary. The federal parliament will review the commission after ten years of commencement of the constitution. Functions, duties and powers of the National Women Commission mentioned in Art.253 is as follows:
(a) To formulate policies and programs regarding women welfare for the Government of Nepal and forward them to the Government for implementation,
(b) To review whether or not statutes related to women’s welfare are executed, and whether the international covenant signed by Nepal, as a signatory, has been executed, and to forward a recommendation to the Government of Nepal in case they are found not to have been executed,
(c) To monitor, review and evaluate policies and programs implemented by the State to bring women into the mainstream of national development such as proportionate representation in all of the state agencies, and to forward a recommendation to the Government of Nepal for an effective implementation of those provisions,
(d) To carry out research and studies regarding gender equality, women empowerment, other legal provisions concerning women, and to forward a recommendation to the concerned bodies regarding the areas to be amended in those laws, and to monitor the same,
(e) To monitor the government regarding report to be submitted by the Government of Nepal in matters related to international covenant and treaties to which Nepal is a party,
(f) To forward a recommendation to concerned authority to lodge a petition in the court, in accordance with the law, in matters related with gender violence, and women deprived of women rights due to social malpractices,
