KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stressed nature conservation. Country’s development could be realized with the conservation of nature, she added.

The relationship between the nature and human is so inseparable that human existence relies on nature and ecosystem. So, nature should not be destroyed, she argued.

President Bhandari said so during a program organized by the Federation of Community Forest User’s Nepal on the occasion of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. She pointed out the role of organization like the Federation to build resilience from the very community to cope with climate change.

She thanked Federation for organizing awareness programs against gender based violence and conservation of forest. The programs on people’s livelihood with sustainable forest management would help foster climate change adaptation.

Stating that prevalence of gender based violence in our society is a cause for concern, President Bhandari viewed, “On the one hand, we are struggling to eliminate ill-traditions such as Chaupadi, witchcraft and dowry system among others, and on the other, new forms of violence and exploitation against women were emerging in the workplace and public places.”

She said, “I would like to draw attention of all the concerned authorities for the implementation of the laws and policies formulated to end the social vices and anomalies.”

The Head of the State asserted that both men and women need to be active to eliminate gender-based violence from our society.

Similarly, Federation’s President Bharati Pathak opined that stakeholders, government agencies and social organizations should work responsibly to effectively implement the laws formulated to eliminate gender-based discrimination. Likewise, Mayor of Dhulikhel Municipality Ashok Byanju expressed his happiness over the Federation’s contribution in forest conversation as well as for working in social empowerment.