KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 28
The United Nations in Nepal emphasized the crucial need for sustained investment and innovative strategies to prevent gender-based violence in Nepal, at an event held in Lalitpur to mark 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence 2023.
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive violation of human rights that reverberates across the world affecting one in three women globally and more than one in four women in Nepal. Gender-based violence can be prevented – but urgent investments are needed to fulfill the promise of a life free from violence for women and girls, including those affected by humanitarian crises, according to the statement issued by United Nations Nepal.
"Convening a collaborative event in this regard, the United Nations urged the government, development partners, civil society organizations, private sectors, media, and women's rights organizations to increase investments in preventing violence from happening in the first place."
Speaking at the event, the UN Resident Coordinator, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy said, "Each one of us each has a responsibility to extinguish the flames of violence that threaten the lives and wellbeing of women and girls. As we mark the 16 Days of Activism, I want to highlight the urgent need for investing both monetary and collective will to end gender-based violence in Nepal."
With the overarching theme, "Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls," the event organized in Lalitpur encouraged investment and innovative strategies in this sector.
The Finland Ambassador to Nepal, Riina-Riikka Heikka, said, "Violence prevention supports basic human rights, accelerates economic development and improves revenues and also helps to respond and build back better from the crisis". She also urged all sectors to come together and invest in preventing GBV by all means.
The first phase of the event commenced with a Gallery Walk, immersing around 100 participants in the powerful stories of resilience and courage shared by survivors of gender-based violence, and innovative initiatives dedicated to ending violence against women and girls, UN said.
The second phase of the event witnessed a panel discussion entitled "Invest to Prevent Gender-Based Violence during Humanitarian Crisis".
The discussion, with a special focus on the devastating earthquake in Western Nepal, comprised of esteemed panelists such as Indira Rana Magar, Deputy Speaker of the House, Federal Parliament, European Union Ambassador to Nepal, Veronique Lorenzo, Samanata Thapa Magar, Business Incubation and Impact Academy Programmes Coordinator, Impact Hub, Sunita Mainali, Executive Director, Women's Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC) and Sanjog Thakuri, President of Hami Daju Vai, the statement added.
Participating in the panel discussion, Indira Rana Magar, emphasized for substantial investment towards the advancement of women's leadership, and economic empowerment. She further added, "Prioritizing investment in female journalists is crucial, particularly in the context of risk prevention and natural calamities."
The panel, moderated by Patricia Fernandez Pacheco, Country Representative of UN Women, emphasized, and committed to address and invest in GBV prevention and response during humanitarian crises.
Economic crises, conflicts, natural disasters, and climate change have exacerbated violence against women and girls in recent times, increasing the vulnerability faced by women and girls. Thus, bold investments are now more crucial than ever to build back better from multiple crises, prioritizing the well-being and safety of women and girls who have been disproportionately affected, UN said.
On this account, the event accentuated the critical need for investment to prevent gender-based violence and ensure the rights and safety of all individuals, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or social background, it added.
