By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Dec. 6: A horrifying tale of 12 years old pregnant girl of Achham that recently made the headlines in the newspapers shows how the women and girls with intellectual disability are prone to sexual violence.
This minor survivor of sexual violence a month ago underwent through the labour induced termination to abort her 20-week-pregnancy at the Maternity Hospital (Prashuti Girha), Thapathali.
The girl has intellectual disability by birth and her relatives came to know about her five-month old pregnancy only after she was taken to the hospital after she was bitten by a dog. Following this, her family came to know that she was raped by two boys of her neighbourhood.
This girl is only an example how girls and women living with disabilities are subjected to violence, including sexual violence and how their ordeal remained unheard.
A research carried out by the Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA) revealed that women with disabilities have difficulty recognising and defining violence against them, including sexual violence.
They face social, cultural, political and religious exclusion, the report shows. Violence against women and girls is a major issue in Nepal where women often find themselves at risk in both public and private spheres. They face domestic violence, rape, sexual assault and human trafficking.
A study carried out by NDWA shows that almost 32 per cent of women with disabilities in Nepal have experienced some sorts of violence. Of them, 42 per cent of them had a physical disability.
Among those who took part in the research, majority have claimed that they have experienced physical violence, humiliation insult, psychological violence, forced to have sexual intercourse.
The study further revealed a bitter fact that majority of perpetrators in such violence were y family members (mainly by the intimate partners).
Around 72 per cent of women with disabilities were subjected to psychological violence and 17 per cent were subjected to sexual violence, the report shows.
Almost 73 per cent of the respondents have claimed that because of their disability they were subjected to violence and discrimination, Nirmala Dhital, president of NDWA, said.
The study was carried out in Kavre, Morang and Gorkha districts.
Gayandra Poudel, joint-secretary of Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, said that research paper would be supportive to bring clear policy and programme for the women with disabilities.
Women with disability who have experienced violence face multiple barriers in accessing justice, said advocate and activist Mira Dhungana. She said that people with disabilities who experienced violence remained silent because no one listens to a person with disability.