Coping With Gender-based Violence

Despite a gradual improvement in the socio-economic condition of women in Nepal, a significant number of women and girls are still forced to face several forms of gender-based violence. They are subjected to physical violence, sexual assaults, and/or psychological harm. In 2080-81B.S., the country logged a total of 21,400 incidences of such violence, while the figures have increased to 23,467 in 2081-82 B.S. The number of incidents related to violence against women has risen by 12 per cent during the past year as compared to the previous year. 

The country witnesses an estimated 60 incidents related to violence against women and girls each day. This really speaks volumes about the gravity of this issue in the country. This scourge is found to be prevalent more in Koshi Province as compared to other provinces. However, many such shameful incidents, including rape, are reported nationwide every year. They can never be in line with the norms of a civilised society. 

Murder

The Nepal Police records show a shocking scenario of gender-based violence and murder. In the past five years, as many as 105,796 cases of violence against women were registered with the police. During the same period, the country reported a total of 3,073 murder cases. Of the total number of murder victims, nearly 1,160 were female. It is also quite dreadful that altogether 128 of those murdered were girls. This data indicates that the murder of women makes up about 37.71per cent of the total number of homicides recorded nationwide.  

Rape is one of the major components of violence against women and girls in Nepal. In the past five years, more than 12,000 rape cases were filed with the police. With about 2,690 rape cases, Koshi Province has topped other provinces during the period. Lumbini Province and Madhes Province recorded the second and third highest numbers of rape cases, with 1,971 and 1,586, respectively. However, a lot of rape and other types of violence against women and girls go unreported due to social and other factors. 

As law enforcement agencies are not capable enough to carry out necessary investigations into such cases, many victims and their families do not receive justice on time. Nirmala Pant is a case in point. In July 2018, the 13-year-old girl from Kanchanpur was raped and murdered in a sugarcane field. But her family has yet to get justice as the police have failed to bring out the facts about that gruesome murder. The victim’s family and friends, and civil society members used to stage street protests, demanding that perpetrators involved in the crime be brought to justice. Since Nirmala’s murder, all successive Home Ministers and Nepal Police chiefs have vowed to settle the lingering case. But what is ironic is that the issue remains unsettled. It is suspected that the key evidence supporting that heinous crime was destroyed by the officials involved in the investigation owing to political pressure.      

Social, economic, and technological factors are mainly held responsible for an increase in the number of incidents associated with gender-based violence. Such cases are mostly recorded in areas where social anomalies like child marriage, dowry practice and caste-based discrimination exist. The Terai belt is ahead of the hilly and mountain regions in terms of accessibility, education and economic opportunities. Even amid this, this region sees widespread social and economic inequalities. Many women are deprived of their economic rights. Some of them are also found being tortured in the name of practising witchcraft. These are some of the main reasons why women go through numerous types of gender-based violence there.     

In western hilly districts, chhaupadi and other cultural evils have continued to remain a major source of suffering for women. Although the government has outlawed ‘chhau sheds’ because the menstruating women and girls are bound to stay there at night, risking their lives, the chhaupadi practice is still in vogue. They are often vulnerable to snakebites and hypoxia. As part of battling this social evil, the government had launched a campaign for demolishing chhau sheds. 

Trafficking of girls and women has been yet another problem, causing them to bear the brunt of violence. Historically, hundreds of thousands of Nepali women and girls have been trafficked to various cities in India as commercial sex workers. Pimps and other traffickers have been involved in this illegal trade. With the passage of time, innocent Nepali women are illegally sent to numerous countries, including the Middle East, Malaysia and China. Recently, police arrested some Chinese nationals from Kathmandu for illegally running a marriage bureau to traffic young Nepali women to China with false promises of offering them a lucrative job and arranging marriages to Chinese men. Such victims are made to work as domestic help or sex workers in China.

Online abuse

A growing use of digital technology has made it easier for traffickers to swindle jobless youths, especially women and girls. The United Nations hosts the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence as an annual global drive from November 25 to December 10 every year. The campaign aims to raise awareness about gender-based violence as a critical issue. With the theme of ‘End digital violence against women and girls’, this year’s drive centres around fighting online abuse and creating safer digital spaces. 

With a rise in the number of digital and other forms of violence against women and girls, the government must come up with more effective laws and policies to deal with such violence. Strengthening women’s organisations and enhancing cooperation among various stakeholders are imperative. Much emphasis should be laid on research for finding better solutions to problems and challenges. An effective monitoring of violence is also essential. 

(The author is a former deputy executive editor of this daily.)