Reporting on VAW cases down due to Madhes agitation

Kathmandu, December 1

The ongoing Tarai unrest and scarcity of petroleum products across the country has dramatically brought down the number of reports on violence against women.

Comparative analysis of reported VAW statistics in the month of Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September), Aswin (mid-September to mid-October) and Kartik (mid-October to mid-November) shows that more than 100-day-long Tarai agitation and the adverse situation created by scarcity of petroleum products has dramatically decreased reporting on VAW cases.

A press statement issued here today by Women’s Rehabilitation Centre said 208 cases of VAW were reported from mid-August to mid-September, but the number declined to 147 during mid-September to mid-October and 93 during mid-October to mid-November.

“In this dreadful situation, WOREC would like to seek solidarity to end all forms of violence in the country, especially in the Tarai region,” it said.

WOREC said among the 93 VAW cases documented from mid-October to mid-November, the Tarai region documented the highest 73 per cent of cases related to violence against women, followed by the hilly region with 22 per cent and Himalayan region with five per cent of the total.

It said WOREC has been making public cases related to violence against women every month to highlight the trend and forms of violence and urge the government and concerned authorities to take appropriate action to provide justice to the victims.