On Thursday, the country commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by launching the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign, which has the worldwide theme “Orange the World: End Violence Against Women Now.”
The Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens inaugurated the 16 Days of Activism against GBV with the national slogan “Let’s start from home, Let’s eliminate violence against women” during a virtual event on Thursday.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, speaking at the occasion, stated that the Nepalese government was committed to uplifting women socially, economically, and politically.
“The government has founded the National Women Commission, a constitutional authority, to ensure that GBV survivors have easy access to justice,” Prime Minister Deuba said.
Prime Minister Deuba urged provincial and municipal governments to work effectively to eradicate all types of violence against women perpetrated in the name of social practices, saying that everyone’s cooperation was required to develop a civilized and egalitarian society free of gender-based violence.
He also asked all concerned authorities, including those at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels, to actively monitor the campaign and show their sympathy with the government’s efforts to abolish gender-based violence and safeguard and promote the human rights of survivors.
Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Uma Regmi said the national statistics on gender-based violence offered a gloomy picture of the country’s prevalence of violence against women and girls.
“Ending all types of gender-based violence requires effective execution of existing legislation.” To achieve a nation free of gender-based violence, every individual, family, community, civil society, and political parties must commit,” she continued.
To stop all forms of violence against women, Minister Regmi emphasized that a comprehensive and inclusive approach is needed that addresses the core causes, transforms damaging social norms, and empowers women and girls.
Minister for Urban Development Ram Kumari Jhakri stated that changing people’s attitudes about women can help eradicate discrimination and violence against women, and that this transformation must start at home.
“The government has established a zero-tolerance policy to root out the trend of gender-based violence and forwarded dozens of women-centered laws to ensure the safety and well-being of women,” said Yam Kumari Khatiwada, Secretary of the MoWCSC.
Stakeholders also stressed the importance of extending all available measures for the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence to villages and distant locations, as well as reaching out to the most vulnerable.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari stated earlier on Wednesday that proper implementation of the country’s existing laws is essential to ending all types of violence against women.
President Bhandari underlined the importance of initiating a comprehensive awareness campaign at the family and community level against such malpractices and anomalies in society in her message on the occasion of the day.
President Bhandari stated, “The unequal power structure between men and women should be addressed by making women financially independent.” Every year, from November 25 to December 10, the world celebrates 16 days of activism. In the year 2054 B.S., Nepal began commemorating the campaign.
Individuals, governments, and non-governmental organizations will cast a spotlight on all kinds of GBV and speak out during the 16-day activism to mobilize commitment and action toward a world where women and all people, regardless of gender, can live a life free of violence and prejudice.
Despite the government’s attempts to prevent gender-based violence, women and girls continue to be victimized. According to a statement released today by the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC), 1,772 incidences of violence against women were registered in Nepal last fiscal year.
According to UN Women, one out of every three women has been abused at some point in their lives. In times of crisis, like as the COVID-19 pandemic and the contemporary humanitarian crisis, the number increases.
According to a recent UN Women research based on data from 13 countries since the epidemic, two out of every three women have experienced some type of abuse, and are more likely to face it.
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