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12 Dec, 2025
Kathmandu, 12 December 2025 — As part of the 13th Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival 2025, a panel discussion on “Emerging Challenges for Rights of Children: Where We Are and What We Need to Do” was successfully held at the Film Development Board, Kathmandu.
The festival, organized from 11–15 December 2025, was jointly hosted by the Human Rights Film Center (HRFC), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Film Development Board, with the participation of national and international filmmakers, human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and the general public. This year’s festival was organized under the central theme of Child Rights.
The panel discussion was jointly organized by Children as Zones of Peace (CZOP) National Campaign, Voice of Children (VOC), and Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (JCYCN), and was attended by more than 60 participants. The session was moderated by Ms. Ritu Bhattarai and featured panelists Dr. Sachin Ghimire, Rejina Gharti Magar, Ritu Gharti Magar, and Sahadip Pariyar.
During the discussion, panelists highlighted the limited representation of child rights issues in Nepali films, the need for child-centered storytelling, and the importance of ethical standards, child consent, and protection mechanisms in filmmaking. Speakers also emphasized the role of parents, schools, and film institutions in promoting child-friendly content and raising awareness among children about their rights.
The discussion further stressed the need for inclusive and realistic portrayals of children, including rural children and children with disabilities, and called for policy-level interventions to safeguard child actors and promote rights-based cinema.
Through this panel discussion, CZOP reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for child rights, protection, and dignity, and to promoting the use of creative platforms such as cinema as tools for awareness, advocacy, and social change.
