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Insurgency major cause of increase in violence against women
KATHMANDU, NOV 26 - The conflict between the government and the Maoists has been instrumental in causing an increase in the number of incidents of violence against women in the country.
Gopal Budathoki, vice-president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) said that 550 women were victimised by the state and 175 by the Maoists, during the insurgency in 2002, while presenting his paper.
The paper was presented here at an interaction on ‘Violence Against Women: Role of Media and Policy Makers’ organised jointly by Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Mainstreaming Gender Equity Programme and Sancharika Samuha to mark the international day on ‘Violence Against Women’.The paper informed that the data included cases related to killing, arrest, injury, kidnap, assault, rape, attempt to rape, threats and abduction of women.
The paper also states that women were first and foremost group to suffer due to the conflict in the country and they were affected both psychologically and physically.
Similarly another paper presented by Pushpa Shrestha, member of National Planing Commission, informed about the 10th national plan which is to provide room for minimum 20 per cent women into policy level. She also said that there were other welfare programmes for women in the 10th plan, which could be supportive factor to minimise the violence against women.
Speaking on the occasion Tara Nath Ranabhat expressed that there was the need of change in the mentality of the people to bring change in the situation. He also said that violence against women was an attack on their identity
He also opined that there was the need of political commitment to stop violence against women. "There should be joint commitment of government, political parties and the Maoists to eliminate the problem," he stressed.
Similarly, Bimal Koirala, chief secretary of the cabinet secretariat, charged that the constitution was unfair towards women. "Constitution is just covering five percent of women," he said.Posted on: 2003-11-25 09:21
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