Kathmandu, August 10

The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens today said as many as 37 women were provided with around Rs 3.5 million in compensation from the Gender-based Violence Elimination Fund so far.

According to the MoWCSC, the victims of gender-based violence were compensated as per the court order issued pursuant to ‘Rape’ Chapter of the Muluki Ain. If the court, in making  judgment, convicts the accused of rape in a case filed under this chapter, it mentions in its decision the compensation to be provided to the victim by the offender and also causes the same to be provided to the concerned woman. For the purpose, the court shall attach the property, including the share in joint property, of the accused immediately after the filing of a case. If an offender is not capable of paying the prescribed compensation, the government should provide it from the fund.

The ministry said the fund had a balance of around Rs 40 million. Similarly, it has provided legal aid, psycho-social counselling and medical services to 785 victims of human trafficking through 10 rehabilitation centres across the county. The ministry also informed that it had stepped up the campaign to make Kathmandu valley a street children-free zone.

A report card published by the ministry said 121 street children, including 20 girls, were recently rescued. “The government rescued 927 such children in the past three years,” it informed.

It said the Right of Persons with Disabilities Rules had been drafted and submitted to the House of Representatives for approval. Similarly, a draft of a 10-year national policy and implementation action plan on the rights of persons with disabilities has been prepared. It has given continuity to protection of 1,357 senior citizens living in 65 elderly homes. Of them, 162 are in Pashupati Elderly Home under the Social Welfare Council.

Senior citizen is defined as a person who has attained the age of 60. The proportion of the senior citizens has increased from five per cent in the census of 1952/54 to 6.5 per cent in 2001 and 8.1 per cent in 2011. There were a total of 2,154,410 persons above the age of 60 years in 2011.

The government funded 87 elderly daycare centres run by various organisations in 49 districts, the report card read. The ministry said incidents of violence against women and children, rape, sexual harassment, human trafficking and lack of enough care of elderly by their families were major challenges to the government.