KATHMANDU, JULY 28 Lawmakers and civil society members have said that there is a need for enacting a new law to hold social media platforms accountable, taking into consideration relevant international treaties and agreements. Panelists who took part in an interaction organised by the issue was highlighted during a panel discussion organized on Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) on the National Assembly's unanimously adopted resolution regarding technology-facilitated gender-based violence said that it was high time that the parliament enacted a new law to deal with increasing incidents of violence against women committed with the help of social media networks. National Assembly member Renu Chand, the proposer of the resolution passed by the upper House on July 1, said that failure to regulate social media-which has become an important medium for freedom of expression these day-could lead to serious consequences as cases of violence were growing against women and girls on social media platforms for exercising their freedom of expression. She explained that the resolution was introduced to support the government in promptly drafting legislation after the absence of legal provisions began to undermine freedom of expression. The resolution was supported by National Assembly members Padam Bahadur Pariyar and Roshani Meche and consists of seven key directives. Pariyar noted that women and children are the primary victims of digital violence. He said the number of digital violence cases has been increasing, Parliament has yet to enact the necessary legislation, and the state lacks an effective mechanism to support victims, making the resolution especially significant. Roshani Meche said the resolution would assist the government in drafting legislation and help assess the social impact of digital violence against women and girls. She added that, following the adoption of the resolution, the concerned ministry would be required to submit progress reports to the National Assembly every three months, parliamentary committees would monitor implementation, and the media could play an important role in reducing digital violence. FWLD Executive Director and Advocate Sabin Shrestha said incidents of digital violence were increasing dramatically, and social media platforms had not been made accountable. He said that implementation of the National Assembly's resolution would be a milestone in addressing digital violence. He shared that 18,926 cases of digital violence were registered with the police during fiscal year 2024/25, with over 17,000 cases (more than 85 per cent) registered in Kathmandu alone. Of those, only 218 cases (around 1.5 per cent) proceeded to prosecution. He argued that the lack of appropriate legislation has prevented many victims from obtaining justice.