KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 3

Among the 753 local levels across the country only 115 municipalities have established the gender-based violence prevention fund.

This was shared at a policy dialogue organised on the occasion of the 16-day campaign against Violence Against Women in the capital city today. The event was hosted jointly by Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Forum of Women, Law and Development and UN Women.

Speaking at the programme, executive director of FWLD Sabin Shrestha said that even though the GBV fund could be used for violence survivors, many local levels were found to be hesitating to do so.

The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens had initially released a budget of Rs 100,000 each for every local level in the country to set up the fund. Province 1 government has also granted an additional 500,000 rupees to the rural municipalities and municipalities in the province. Many municipalities have allocated up to Rs one million to the Fund.

There is a provision whereby the concerned local level receives an amount equivalent to what it has spent through the Fund for violence survivors. However, the Fund money has not been spent at the local level. It was shared at the programme that the money from the fund was not spent even in metropolitan cities.

On the occasion, head of the social development department of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Deepak Adhikari said the department was conducting awareness programme against gender-based violence.

Former president of FWLD Meera Dhungana stressed the need to launch a campaign to end evil social practices such as child marriage and polygamy.

A version of this article appears in the print on December 4, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.