By Our Correspondent
Baitadi, Jan. 18: A safe home for women was constructed at Dasharathchand, the headquarters of Baitadi district, in 2013 with an aim to provide shelter to women who have been victims of different crimes. Situated at Ward No. 4 in Dasharathchand Municipality, the safe home was constructed at an investment of Rs. 1.4 million under the initiation of Inter Party Women’s Alliance.
Care Nepal provided the financial support and Rural Development and Environment Management Society (RUDES) facilitated the construction.
The concrete building of the safe house is equipped with drinking water, gas stove, beds and other amenities. But in eight years of its construction, only spiders have been spinning web across the structure.

“The women victims of crimes like domestic violence and rape arrive in the district headquarters seeking justice. They need a place to stay but the safe house is only for sightseeing,” said Parbati Bhatta, the alliance’s district president.
According to Bhatta, the victims are bound to reach the neighbouring Patan Municipality for lodging. Patan has a rented house of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for the purpose of providing safe house alongside psychological and psychosocial counselling.

“In the past four years, the rented house has provided counselling and support to over 300 women victims,” said Ganesh Shahi, programme chief of UNFPA, Baitadi.
While the already constructed safe house in Dasharathchand can be a relief for the crime victims in Baitadi, weeds and bushes have covered its surroundings for the past eight years.
“The local government has shown no interest in operating the safe house,” said Bhatta.

Alongside the safe house, an old age home constructed by the then district development committee at Rs. 800,000 has also been left unused in Dasharathchand.
Meanwhile, officials at the municipality informed that the operation of safe house had been difficult as it has not been transferred to them.

“The Inter Party Women’s Alliance has the ownership of the land where the safe house is constructed. Since the alliance has not transferred the ownership to the municipality, there are some issues for the safe house’s efficient operation,” said Mina Chand, Deputy Mayor of Dasharathchand.