16-day campaign against gender-based violence from today

By A Staff Reporter Kathmandu, Nov. 25: Stakeholders have committed to organising different activities to create a country free from violence against women in the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

The 16 days of activism is an international campaign kicks off on November 25 and runs until December 10 every year. The first day of the campaign concides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the concluding day is the Human Rights Day.

While different organisations and institutions have put forth different plans for the campaign, they all gathered at the Nepal Police Headquarters on Friday and expressed their commitment to the campaign.

Representatives from different concerned ministries, government bodies, NGOs and INGOs pledged proper coordination in ending violence against women at the programme organised by the Women, Children and Senior Citizen Service Directorate (WCSCSD) under the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Nepal Police.

“The ministry is also launching the campaign separately in the evening. We will be coordinating with Nepal Police and other stakeholders to ensure a country free from violence against women in the near future,” said Mamata Bastola, Under Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens.

Bastola also informed that the victims of gender-based violence can seek support from the local, provincial and federal governments as they all have a fund to mitigate gender-based violence. 

Similarly, Ram Bahadur Shahi, Under Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, stressed that other stakeholders should move forward more actively than the Nepal Police.

“Nepal Police should not be burdened with the need to generate awareness. They are busy investigating crimes and arresting perpetrators alongside ensuring peace. Ending gender-based violence requires a multi-sectoral approach,” Shahi added.

According to the Nepal Police data, 20,880 cases of gender-based violence, which are recorded under seven categories, were reported to the Nepal Police in the last fiscal year 2022/23.

“Of the total cases, 16,519 were related to domestic violence. There were 16,538 victims of domestic violence and 20,035 offenders in those cases. Likewise, 13,454 of the victims and 16,525 of the offenders were literate,” read the annual factsheet on gender-based violence of Nepal Police from July/August 2022 to June/July 2023.

During the period, 2,387 cases of rape, 518 cases of attempt to rape, 723 cases of polygamy and 343 cases of child sexual abuse were also reported.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manoj Kumar KC of the WCSCSD said, “Majority of the offenders of domestic violence and other forms of violence against women and girls are known individuals. Since women are victimised more inside their own homes, we need a different approach and it requires the support of other stakeholders.”

Addressing the programme, Nitu Gartaula, Under Secretary at the National Human Rights Commission, said, “We have been questioning the lack of budget in this sector. However, we have never questioned how the available resources have been utilised. We have also not been able to identify the gaps in our coordination.”

Likewise, Sita Adhikari, Under Secretary at the National Women Commission, stressed that women should be empowered to the extent that they can stop becoming dependent on others and protect themselves.

“Cases of gender-based violence reported to the authorities are on the rise and it is a positive indicator that more women have started speaking against violence. However, we must ensure proper justice and motivate more women to come forward,” said Adhikari.

Nevertheless, all the stakeholders argued they would increase awareness in the 16 days and beyond.

Inaugurating an action plan on zero tolerance against gender-based violence within the Nepal Police, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Basanta Bahadur Kunwar said, “Every police personnel has been directed to ensure gender equality and be more concerned in cases related gender-based violence as they are sensitive. The institution is committed to taking strict action against offenders and providing proper safety to the victims of gender-based violence.”