The state of the children in Nepal is not very promising. The child mortality rate in Nepal is high. In terms of education, many children still do not go to school. Statistics show that about half of the children who are enrolled in grade one drop out before completing grade five. There are over two million child workers, whose basic rights have been denied. Some of them work in very hazardous conditions. But there are some positive indications, too, in the area of child rights. Ever since Nepal expressed its commitment to realise the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), there has been significant progress in the reduction of child mortality, which has been appreciated by the international community.
The last two decades have witnessed some good efforts at meeting the rights of the child, which was not an issue until the late 1990s. The issue concerning child rights is now a national agenda, thanks to national and international movements and initiatives for the rights of the child. Nepal has ratified several human rights and child rights related to international instruments. As per its commitment expressed at the international level, some efforts have, of course, been made at the national level, including the formulation of some child-friendly policies, programmes and laws.
However, these policies are yet to be fully implemented in order to fully ensure the rights of the children. The children, especially the disadvantaged ones continue to suffer from several problems. They have to
