Kathmandu, June 20

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has issued a circular to all 753 local levels, requesting them to incorporate activities related to ‘Campaign Year Against Gender-Based Violence’ into their policies and programmes for fiscal 2019-20.

The Council of Ministers on May 20 had decided to observe 2019 as the ‘Campaign Year Against Gender-Based Violence’. The theme of the campaign is “End of Gender Discrimination: Destination of Prosperous Nepal’’. Local Level Coordination Section of the MoFAGA said local levels were urged to incorporate campaign related activities into their policies and programs, in response to a letter from the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens.

According to a recent report of Nepal Health Sector Support Programme, gender-based violence cuts across caste, ethnicity, class, and socio-economic status and is prevalent in all geographical settings, in different forms and magnitudes. Large number of women and children in Nepal experience gender-based violence resulting in physical, sexual and psychological damage of the victims. The Nepal Demographic and Health Survey-2016 found that more than 22 per cent women above 15 years of age experienced physical violence, 26 per cent of married women experienced spousal violence, either physical, sexual or emotional, and 66 per cent never told anyone about their experiences or sought help.

Gender-based violence includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty. It is intricately linked with gender norms and unequal power relations in society, violence against women and girls being one of the manifestations of these inequities.

A report by Women’s Rehabilitation Centre shows that women are more prone to domestic violence as 65 per cent of total gender-based violence against women were perpetrated by their family members. Over 53 per cent of domestic violence against women was committed by husbands. The NGO said it recorded 1,749 VAW cases last year. Nepal Police record shows that a total of 1,480 rape and attempted rape cases were reported last year.