BAJURA, AUGUST 2

A women's friendly center has come into operational to help the women affected by earthquake and gender violence in Gaumul Rural Municipality of Bajura district.

Women's Friendly Center (Mahila Maitri Sthal) was established with the aim of reducing and facilitating gender violence in the earthquake affected areas, according to Sita Thapa, Vice chair of the rural municipality.

'The centre was established to provide health and psychosocial counseling services to those affected by the earthquake and gender violence in the rural municipality,' said Gauri Bhandari, incharge of the centre.

The centre, during the time of earthquake and other natural disasters, will aim to reduce the stress caused by such disasters by providing such safe and women-friendly place for women specially to the new mothers, pregnant women and adolescent girls.

The Mahila Maitri Sthal has been made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Federal Population Fund (UNFPA), Women's Rehabilitation Center (WOREC), Nepal, and local partnership with the rural municipality. Sangita Adhikari, a dedicated member of WOREC Nepal, highlighted the comprehensive services the center aims to provide. 'We are here to offer counseling, raise awareness about gender violence and human trafficking, address sexual and reproductive health concerns, and extend short-term shelter to women impacted by violence. For those unable to reach us, our counselors will bring vital information and support to their doorsteps,' Adhikari emphasized.

The center's counselors are also proactively disseminating information about primary psychological support across all villages and settlements affected by the earthquakes. Adhikari shared that counselors will cover every corner of the six wards within the rural municipality.

Since its inception, the Mahila Maitri Sthal has already touched the lives of 12 individuals directly, while an additional 44 have benefitted from information and assistance. The devastating earthquake last year claimed the life of one woman in Gaumul Rural Municipality and displaced numerous families.

Hari Bahadur Rokaya, chair of the rural municipality said that this palce will be of great help to those affected by the earthquake and gender violence in the local level.

With the financial and technical support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Sneh Kendra (Women Friendly Center) is being operated targeting the 3 municipalities of Doti and Bajura in the earthquake affected districts of Far West.