End Violence Against Women

Every year, the world celebrates 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. While celebrating these important 16 days, we are forced to come across horrendous incidents of gender-based violence globally. Honestly speaking, the answer to whether women’s situations have improved or not is a painful negative.

Generally, when we think of violence, we believe it is mostly carried out by strangers. But data and reports speak of something else. Apparently, violence against women is found mostly perpetuated by intimate partners or close relatives. A report titled “ Femicides in 2023” published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime states that around 51,100 women and girls were killed at home by people closely related to them. This is termed as femicide.

This figure represents 60 per cent of almost 85,000 women and girls who had been killed intentionally by their close family members. And the cases remained the highest in the African region. The study doesn’t show the situation of femicide globally because many countries, including Nepal, have not collected data on femicide. But we do have certain statistics on domestic violence perpetuated by intimate partners and relatives.

In the context of our country, National Demographic and Health Survey, 2022 has highlighted that 27 per cent of women who have ever had a husband or intimate partner have experienced violence committed by their current or most recent husband/intimate partner. They faced either physical, sexual or emotional violence. Not just femicide, incidences of physical and domestic violence have also been increasing around the globe, even so in Nepal. A recent study has shown that 77 per cent of educated women have been victims of domestic violence – be it physical, sexual or emotional. 

Despite heavy investments made by international organisations like the United Nations and states themselves to reduce gender-based violence, the situation does not seem to have improved significantly. During the post-COVID pandemic, the situation has worsened as the figures aforementioned indicate that. The ongoing 16 days of activism can only be successful when we focus on reducing femicides and different forms of violence. The social norm and traditional belief that women and girls are weak and are always dependent on their close relatives or intimate partners is one of the root cause of these issues. 

Until and unless we do not transform our society, any amount of other forms of programmatic interventions cannot help. States and different non-state actors have the responsibility to better educate and create awareness among the general population. And most importantly, empowerment of girls and women cannot be stressed enough. They should be provided with adequate support from the side of the law enforcement agencies like the police so that they can easily open up when forced to suffer from violence. Most cases of femicide are found to be preventable in nature. But, the absence of timely actions has caused many girls and women to lose their lives. 

And it is crucial to put more stringent laws and regulations in place to prevent and control femicides and domestic violence in a more effective manner. Likewise, states should make use of data as evidence to formulate better policies so as to protect the rights and lives of women. We must promote gender equality and create a congenial environment to foster women’s situation in the country. Also, victim support services should be established to support the victims of gender-based violence. At the end of the day, home should be a place of safety, not of terror and pain.