Kathmandu, December 5:

Chief Justice Kedar Prasad Giri today said the state had a legal duty to take steps to

address gender violence and carry out investigation into violations committed within its jurisdiction.

“The state should be accountable for imposing an appropriate punishment and ensuring compensation to the victims,” Giri said. “The condition of women is vulnerable and they are suffering from mental and moral torture due to poverty and social conflict,” stated the chief justice.

Addressing a programme organised to mark 16 days of activism for ending violence against women, he stressed on establishing a National Women’s Commission and launching women-oriented policies and programmes to ensure their rights.

Trilochan Upreti, secretary at the Ministry of Law, Justice and Constituent Assembly, said that they had allocated a gender-friendly fund for addressing the issue in a crucial way by making policies and a gender-friendly constitution to end discrimination against women.

Ugochi Daniels, country representative of UNFPA, said that UN was joining hands with local NGOs for ending violence against women. She added that UN had raised its voice for ‘zero tolerance’ for ending such discrimination.

Leela Pathak, commissioner at the National Human Right Commission (NHRC), said that there was an absence of an immediate response mechanism to advocate for women. She added that cases of rape and killing, torture and abusive behaviour, domestic violence, trafficking, property rights, threats to displaced women and restriction in family were pending with NHRC.

She accused the ‘judiciary administrative complexity’ of bad accessibility for poor women getting victimised and recommended developing a strategic partnership of coordination with stakeholders.

Ram Krishna Timalsena, registrar of the Supreme Court, said that patriarchal society, gender inequality, superstitious practices, inadequate and discriminatory laws, and lack of gender friendly environment were the main causes of violence, and added ‘domestic violence bill’ was yet to be endorsed by the parliament.

He recommended introducing a ‘family court’ for minimising cases of domestic violence and allowing victimised women’s access to justice.

Anti-graft body’s dash to TIA pays off :

Kathmandu: A panel formed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today paid a surprise visit to the Tribhuvan International Airport.

A CIAA source said that it had found many irregularities there. “TIA lacks enough trolleys and the staffers are not respecting the dress code,” the source added. The source also said that many loopholes were spotted during the inspection and NAC would be instructed regarding the same in future.

“Even fake stickers are being used in the airport,”

he added.

The three-member team comprises deputy government attorney Surya Nath Prakash Adhikari as its leader and inspector Shiva Ram Basnet and section officer Hari Nepal as its members.

“We will take necessary steps to correct the irregularities found during the visit,” the source added.

CIAA acting Chief Commissioner Lalit Bahadur Limbu said the anti-graft body would implement the report. “We will summon high-profile officials of the Ministry and inquire them about the state of affairs,” he added. — HNS