Deputy Mayor Dangol invited to be a panelist at the Asia Pacific Care Forum
The forum will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 22-24
August 24, 2024, Kathmandu.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol has been invited as a panelist at the second Asia Pacific Care Forum, scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 22–24.
UN Women Nepal Representative Patricia Fernandez invited the Deputy Mayor to come to the office and participate as a panelist in the dialogue and discussion session titled ‘Caring Cities focusing on gender-responsive urban planning.
The panel will focus on gender-responsive urban planning.
How can the potential for care and women’s economic empowerment be seen in the program in the coming days? A common understanding will be built from the perspectives of policy, planning, programs, and investment. Similarly, successful and good practices of the 'Care Economy' will be exchanged and discussed. The generational transfer of the existing thinking on women's empowerment in the Asia Pacific region, the economic empowerment of women in its transformation, the responsibility, investment, and role of private and community organizations for transformation, and care entrepreneurship in the cycle from care economy to care system will be presented at the forum. Discussions and dialogues will be held.
Accepting the invitation, Deputy Mayor Dangol shared key initiatives from Kathmandu Metropolitan City about the breastfeeding room with the single service center implemented by the Metropolitan City and the ward women's network formed to immediately address gender-based violence.
Raising the issue of women's participation in the governance system, she said, 'The system has ensured positions for women. In some places, capacity development programs are needed to make the position responsibilities meaningful and efficiently fulfill them.
In closing, she noted that economic empowerment of women within families and society must be progressively addressed through sustained efforts in policy and program implementation.
During the meeting, Fernandez stated, “Many have been eagerly anticipating the approach we’re presenting here to reduce gender inequality. The number of requests we received to have you as a panelist clearly reflects this anticipation.”
Across the Asia Pacific region, women carry a disproportionate share of unpaid care work—a major barrier to their full participation in the labor market. Due to their caregiving responsibilities, many women are either excluded from employment or confined to low-paying, limited roles.
Meanwhile, urbanization, shifting family structures, and migration trends are driving up the demand for care services—especially for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. While this poses challenges, it also presents opportunities to create decent jobs and meet essential family and community needs.
In this context, the upcoming Asia Pacific Care Forum will help to redefine or reimagine such a situation when it comes to gender-responsive urban planning.