South Asians for Human Rights

Promoting Democracy, Upholding Human Rights

An organisation working to protect women’s rights has expressed concern about the continued incidents of violence against women, including rape.

WOREC Nepal has said rights activists have long been drawing the attention of the concerned bodies to VAW cases and added that the incidents have but continued.

The WOREC Nepal concern comes at a time when the National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders is organising the ‘National Campaign against Rape’.

The campaign which was launched on September 22, coinciding with the International Day of Peace, will continue till December 10 when the International Human Rights Day is observed.

According to WOREC Nepal, it received 53 cases of rape and eight cases of attempted rape from across the country in the month of Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September).

The perpetrators were mainly victims’ relatives, neighbours and others.

Likewise, 99 cases of domestic violence against women, including physical and mental torture, verbal abuse, assault and eviction from house, were reported during the same period.

The statistics say 27 cases of social offences, including accusation of practising black magic, and child marriage, 13 cases of murder, five cases of attempted murder, eight cases of sexual violence and two cases of human trafficking came to light during the month.

“It reflects the rampant insecurity facing the women. Such violence has made the victims helpless to muster up courage to lodge complaint against the guilty due to fear of retribution,” it said.

Incidents reported (mid-Aug to mid-Sept)

•    Rape: 53

•    Rape attempts: 8

•    Sexual violence: 8

•    Domestic violence: 99

•    Social offences: 27

•    Murder: 13

•    Attempt to murder: 5

•    Human trafficking: 2

Source: The Himalayan Times – 26.09.2013 –
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Increasing+VAW+cases+concern+WOREC&NewsID=392162