Kathmandu. The Nepal Women’s Association (NMA) has called the government’s attention to immediately stop the proposed law legalising polygamy under certain circumstances, terming it irresponsible, regressive and objectionable.

In a memorandum submitted to Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ajay Kumar Chaurasia today, the Association urged him to withdraw the proposal immediately as it would destroy the achievements made in the field of women’s rights for decades and restore the practice of polygamy.

According to the proposed provision, if a man wants to marry such a woman if he wants to marry a child through physical contact with another woman in the event of a marital relationship, he can marry him. Which has a clear intention of legalising criminal offences like polygamy,” reads the memorandum submitted by the association.

The association has objected to the argument of the senior officials of the Law Ministry that this provision has been brought to protect the rights of the second woman and her child. “This argument is not only misleading but also an attack on women’s self-respect,” it said, adding that it would not be justified from any point of view to legitimise men’s extramarital affairs and irresponsibility in the name of legal marriages. ’

Stating that it is the responsibility of the state to protect the rights of single women and their children, the association said that the solution is not to legalize social crimes like polygamy. Restoring it under any pretext would be a betrayal of women’s long and difficult struggle for injustice and equality.

“We strongly urge the federal government to immediately withdraw this ill-intentioned anti-women and regressive proposal,” it said, urging the government to immediately engage in meaningful dialogue with women’s rights organisations and civil society to find a just and equitable solution to protect the rights of all women and children without compromising on the basic principles of equality. ’