Activists hail Nepal women ruling

The court has issued a number of rulings on women this year

Human rights activists in Nepal have hailed the latest Supreme Court ruling on women's rights.

The court asked the government to scrap a "discriminatory" rule that women must ask permission of family members before selling inherited property.

The court has issued a number of rulings on women's rights this year.

It eased the regulations for women to obtain passports and ruled that women should not suffer discrimination during the menstruation cycle.

Underage boys

In addition to the ruling on selling or transferring property, the court issued directions to the government to review the provision in which a daughter is required to return her inherited property to her paternal home after getting married.

Lawyer and human rights activist, Sapana Pradhan Malla, said these were landmark judgments.

She said the rulings would go a long way towards ending discrimination against women in Nepalese society.

In November, the court ruled that women under 35 years of age would not need the permission of their parents or husbands to apply for a passport.

In September, it ordered an end to discrimination during the menstrual cycle - there is a tradition in parts of Nepal of keeping women in cow-sheds during their period.

Also on Thursday in a separate ruling, the court asked the government not to recruit underage boys into the security forces.

It said the recruitment contravened the country's constitution and international children's rights treaties that Nepal had signed.