Girls’ takeover podium for leadership development

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Oct. 14: Manisha Pandit, of Dhanusha district, took over the position of the President of the National Association of Rural Municipalities in Nepal (NARMIN) for a day on the occasion of the 12th International Day of Girl Child 2023 Week on Friday.   

She became the president of the NARMIN on Friday as part of the Girls’ Takeover Programme in collaboration with the Plan International Nepal, under the coordination of the Children as Zone of Peace (CZOP).

Similarly, Min Kumari Shrestha of Sindhuli district took over the position of Vice-President of the National Youth Council for a day. 

Every year, International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated globally on October 11.  

To mark the week-long girls' takeover campaign, several girls took over the positions of government ministers, ambassadors, media house owners and bosses in non-government offices for one day.  

Speaking at the Girls’ Takeover programme, Laxmi Devi Pandey, president of NARMIN, said that NARMIN would play a role in the development of 460 rural municipalities of the nation by studying the nature of villages. 

She said the Association would take initiatives to make all the rural municipalities of Nepal child-rights-friendly, including children's education, health, and nutrition, sports, and birth registration.

On that occasion, Manisha Pandit, who became president of the NARMIN for a day, said that her goal was to make all rural villages child-friendly, nutrition-friendly, and youth-friendly.

Under the Girls’ Takeover Programme, Chanchal Mandal of Dhanusha District became the Vice President of the National Child Rights Council for one day on Thursday. 

Tilottama Poudel, Secretary General of the CZOP, said that the Girls Takeover Programme would help develop the leadership skills of girls while spreading awareness about the all-round development and rights of children.

Aatma Ram Thapa, executive director of the CZOP, said that the symbolic leadership handover practice was the beginning step to developing the capacity of girls from their childhood.  

Under the campaign, 100 girls from several districts take important responsibilities of several organisations across the nation, according to the Plan International Nepal.