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Insights and Analysis

Gender-Based Violence Still Presents Greatest Need in Nepal

March 27, 2013

By Diana Fernandez

Gender-based violence (GBV) affects nearly half of women in Nepal, according to a recent survey by The Asia Foundation. The results of the survey, included in a recent field report from Asia Foundation program officer and Give2Asia’s field advisor to Nepal, Diana Fernandez, showed that 48 percent of women have experienced GBV in their lifetime, and over 25 percent in the last 12 months. Of women who report experiencing GBV, nearly three-quarters report that the perpetrators were intimate partners (including husbands).

Gender-based violence was again brought to the forefront of civil society issues in Nepal at the end of 2012, when reports surfaced of an especially egregious case of rape and robbery committed by a Nepali immigration official and a Nepali police officer. The victim was a Nepali migrant worker returning from work abroad. The event sparked a massive street movement to demand justice not just for this isolated case, but for widespread cases of GBV and other human rights abuses in Nepal.

In this field report, we have identified three critical ways to help achieve gender equality in Nepal:

1. Ensure Access to Justice

2. Raising Awareness and Media Attention

3. Reducing Vulnerability Through Entrepreneurship

Download a complete copy of the report, “Current Civil Society Needs in Nepal.” This article was originally published by Asian Philanthropy Advisory Network blog, a project of Give2Asia.

Related locations: Nepal, Washington DC
Related programs: Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality
Related topics: International Development

2 Comments

  1. Of course, all of us need to act for this. Absolutely accessing to justice enable women to have the rights for their lives. Raising awareness needs time. Most people in the community will have more awareness about gender equality and media is the fastest way to promote and support raising awareness on this. It is sure that when women have roles and present their status in enterpreneurship, they are empowered to play the important role in the community and it is the power to bring gender equality to them.

    I absolutely agree with this article. I used to be GBV case manager (emotional support) and I knew it was very important. Now as I am GBV project manager, raising awareness in the community is a kind of thing we can play to prevent and response for getting gender equality to women and children.

  2. Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment on the piece. I think you bring up a very important point which is that community awareness is an essential for preventing GBV and enhancing equality. It is also important for reintegration of victims of certain types of GBV that carry social stigma such as human trafficking for sexually exploitative purposes. You also note that it takes time to raise this awareness and support which I totally agree with. This is especially true here in Nepal where entrenched patriarchal and adverse socio-cultural norms make it that much more challenging to raise awareness on gender issues.

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