KATHMANDU: Suntali Dhami, a police woman raped by her co-workers two months ago, today urged all the women in the country to break their silence and have zero-tolerance against violence facing them.

“No woman in this country must silently suffer. Not a single woman should be tolerating violence in any forms,” she remarked, addressing an inaugural of a 16-day activism against domestic violence organised by women NGOs-Sathi and National Network against Domestic Violence (NNDV) - that kicked off today in the capital.

She alleged that even in the 21st century, women in Nepal were continuously victimised.

Calling on all the victimised women in the country not to spare the perpetrators of violence, she said, “If the victimised women continued to silently endure violence, a day will come when they will be sacrificed like animals.”

She also urged the government strongly to raise awareness on the recently-passed bill against domestic violence and ensure that every woman live their life safely. During the program, Dhami also launched an awareness poster on gender violence and a radio jingle prepared by the NNDV.

On the occasion, Bandana Rana, president of Saathi, announced Sushma Rana and Bikash Rana, singer couple, as goodwill ambassadors against domestic violence. Similarly, Dr Madhuri Singh, founding president of Saathi, was honoured for her PhD on domestic violence.

Speaking on the same occasion, Sapana Pradhan Malla, a Constituent Assembly member, said that the major challenge in implementing the bill against domestic violence lurks from the insensitivity of law implementing agencies.

Malla also blamed on the inherent ‘masculinity behaviour’ among men as obstructing the process of behavioural change .

“Individuals should change their behaviour in order to minimise all forms of violence against women,” she said, adding that women who dare to break their silence and come forward to reveal their sufferings should be empowered. Nainakala Thapa, president of National Women’s Commission, however, said the society’s perspective towards women has not changed despite rising awareness and literacy.