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Empowerment of Women
Changing Attitudes in Nepal about Violence against Women
Written by UPF - Nepal
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Kathmandu, Nepal - UPF– Nepal and the Women’s Federation for World Peace–Nepal jointly organized a program entitled, “Violence Against Women: Changing Our Attitudes” at the Peace Embassy on January 22. An international audience of over 150 attended.
The Chief Guest, Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal, Minister of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, emphasized that the problem ultimately begins inside people's hearts and minds. “Violence against women takes on many forms: mental, physical, and sexual,” he said, “but it originates in our misdirected attitudes towards women.”
Minister Dhakal went on to say that if the problem within people is unsolved, then it becomes a legal and social issue. “Unless we change our way of thinking, our attitudes, then we cannot ultimately address the violence against women in society,” he stressed. He further explained that this can be done most effectively through educational programs which clarify the original purpose and value of marriage and family, which is one of UPF’s five focuses.
Keynote Speaker Ms. Shiekh Chand Tara, Chairperson of the National Women’s Commission, said that people who perpetrate violence against women are weak and selfish. In the case of the recent brutal rape and murder in India, the perpetrators in the bus hid behind tinted windows and curtains.
Ms. Tara continued by saying that domestic violence in Nepal begins with the dowry system, in which property and/or money is paid to the man whom a girl marries. Moreover, she added, the apathy of the law-enforcement and judicial systems results in many unreported and unresolved cases, which only discourages others from speaking out.
Mr. Nabaraj Dhakal, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, countered this by saying that cases of violence against women are always high priority. “When the police are given honest and accurate information, immediate action will follow.” He concluded by saying that building trust with the police is essential in helping to solve cases of violence against women.
Mr. Bishwokanta Maninali, former President of the Nepal Bar Association and a senior advocate, highlighted that rules and regulations can help reduce violence against women, but it ultimately depends on changing people's attitudes.
Singer Indira Joshi, Professor Lal Kumari Gurung, and WFWP-Nepal President Mrs. Blessie Dhakal all emphasized the need for men and women to work together to solve violence against women.
At the end of the program, there was a renewed awareness that each person must be involved in solving this human menace. A very good starting point would be to raise our children well by setting clear guidelines and proper norms in the home; after all, “good education starts from the family.”
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