World Social Justice Day Observed Today to Promote Equality

Kathmandu: World Social Justice Day is being celebrated globally today, February 20, with the objective of promoting social justice and reducing inequality. Various policy initiatives have been undertaken at the international level to ensure social justice, equal opportunity, and inclusive development.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) unanimously adopted the Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on June 10, 2008. This declaration is considered the ILO's third major policy document, following the 1944 Declaration of Philadelphia and the 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. It clarifies the organization's contemporary vision for strengthening labor rights, social security, and equal opportunity in the era of globalization.

Similarly, honoring the initiatives of various organizations and civil society working for social justice, the United Nations General Assembly declared on November 26, 2007, that February 20 would be observed annually as World Social Justice Day.

In Nepal, social security allowances are being provided to senior citizens, single women, persons with disabilities, marginalized communities, endangered indigenous groups, and children to ensure social justice and security. However, due to the lack of clear economic and social stratification in the distribution of allowances, it appears that both at-risk communities and capable groups are utilizing these facilities equally.

According to experts, it is necessary to review social security programs and target them toward truly vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Likewise, analysts suggest that the goal of social justice remains incomplete because development programs have failed to adopt inclusive strategies that cover communities outside the mainstream and remote geographical areas.