Kathmandu, November 1

Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizens Tham Maya Thapa said individual efforts were not sufficient to combat violence against women.

Any effort to combat VAW would yield an expected result only if it was launched through coordination among the three-tiers of the government and with the participation of local community, the minister said. She was addressing an interaction on ‘The role of Stakeholders in Control of Gender-based Violence’ jointly organised by Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range and Gender Violence Control Network and Protectors’ Group Nepal.

Minster Thapa said the government was making preparations to study forms of violence against women in the country. She was of the view that anti-violence efforts with substantive plans would result in significant gains. But, the role of three level governments with different jurisdictions was equally crucial to achieve the results. Thought, perception, and attitude are more important than laws to build a violence-free society, she said.

Stating that the government this year launched a campaign on violence against women, Minister Thapa said the government was preparing to celebrate a day in Nepal from this year in commemoration of 30 May 2006, when an important proposal with regard to the rights of women was endorsed by the Parliament in Nepal.

Such rights include 33 per cent participation of women in state apparatus, an end to gender-based violence and discrimination and mother’s right to pass on the citizenship to offspring, among others. According to the minister, a discussion programme against violence has been scheduled in all seven states from November 3 and it will continue until November 25.

Ranipokhari-based Metropolitan Police Office Chief, Deputy Inspector General of Police Shailesh Thapa Chhetri, said sex education at home would help minimise incidents of violence against women. Cases of violence are on the rise every year and the Community Police Partnership Programme was launched to reduce crime with the help of the community.

Under the programme, around 600 thousand people have been given training in a year, according to a police officer.