Nepal

South Asian Women Conference for global solidarity to end VAW

By Himalayan News Service

KATHMANDU, MARCH 14

Women rights activists are organising a two-day South Asian regional conference on March 15 and 16 here, aiming to create global solidarity to end all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls.

Organisers informed during a press meet today that the conference would stress on revealing different aspects of violence against women and girls and how to ensure violence affected women's access to justice.

Speaking at the press meet, Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission Kamala Parajuli said that girls, women with disability, sexual minorities and women from marginalised communities were mostly affected by violence. She said many forms of violence such as digital violence, violence committed by partners in living together relationship, violence against women in entertainment sector had not been addressed.

Speaking at the same programme, member of National Human Rights Commission Lily Thapa said violence against women was a severe violation of human rights and the conference would discuss how violence against women and girls should be addressed globally.

The conference, which will be jointly organised by National Human Rights Commission, National Women Commission, Women NGO Federation ,and Every Woman Treaty, will address violence against women through a global treaty that has not been addressed by CEDAW, said Sashi Adhikary, President at Women NGO Federation. Women rights activist Meera Khanna from India said the patriarchal structure in South Asian society had increased violence against women and girls.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 15, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.