Combined efforts needed to fight VAW: Minister Thapa

Kathmandu–Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen Thamamaya Thapa has declared that individual efforts were not sufficient to combat violence against women (VAW).

Any effort to combat VAW would yield an expected result only if it was launched through coordination among the three-tier government and with the participation of local community, the minister asserted In her address to an interaction on 'the role of stakeholders in the control of gender-based violence' jointly organised by the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range and Gender Violence Control Network and Protectors' Group Nepal, she shared the government preparation for studying the forms of violence existing in the country and place-specific violence as well.

She was of the view that anti-violence attempts 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, according to the minister. Stating that the government this year launched a campaign against women violence, the minister said the government was preparing to celebrate a Day against Women Violence, Nepal from this year in commemoration of May 30, 2006 when the important proposal in the regard with the rights of women was endorsed by the parliament in Nepal.

Such rights include the 33 percent women participation in state apparatus, an end to gender-based violence and discrimination and mother's right to pass on the citizenship to offspring among others.

"Such achievements are historic." According to the women 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 right sex education within the home would help to minimize the incidences of violence.

The 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, it is said.