The Byas Municipality of Tanahun district has announced a 20 per cent tax exemption for 20 years to any couple who undergo sterilization after giving birth to one or two daughters.
Sterilization is a permanent method of birth control. Sterilization procedures for women are called tubal ligation. The procedure for men is called vasectomy.
Tanahun Deputy-mayor Mira Joshi said the municipality had decided to give 20 per cent exemption in the internal tax levied by the municipality. “The scheme aims at eliminating discrimination against female children and also helps to end child marriage by discoursing parents to make their daughter marry only after 20 years,” said Joshi.
The scheme was brought under the campaign, ‘Independent daughters, empowered Byas Municipality’. According to Joshi, the scheme would encourage couples to undergo permanent sterilization after having one or two daughters.
Similarly, the municipality has decided to provide incentive to girls born in marginalized communities if they marry after 20 years of age. The incentive would be implemented from the current fiscal year, Joshi added.
According to Joshi, though the legal age of marriage is 20 years for both boys and girls, there is a wide gap between the purpose of the law and practice and social norms. This scheme would help to address the gap for the law to be effectively implemented, she added.
According to her Rs 200,000 has been allocated for the scheme at present. An action plan is being prepared in a way to provide Rs 20,000 for the girls of marginalized communities like Botey, Chepang, Kumal, Darai and Dalit, who marry only after 20 years of age.
On June 27, Byas Municipality had initiated a program to honor local women and girls belonging to marginalized communities through the ‘Self-reliant Daughter, Empowered Byas’ campaign.
As per the campaign, the Municipality Office covers the wedding cost of girls belonging to the Dalit, Bote, Darai, Kumal and Chepang along with other indigenous tribes and communities if they marry after 20 years of age.
The Municipality had also decided to provide nutrition assistance to pregnant women under the ‘Deputy Chief with Women’ program. According to the Municipality, a Gender Based Violence Prevention Fund has also been set up to provide legal aid, security and protection to the survivors of violence.
