Minister Thapa seeks local levels' role in minimizing VAW

Kathmandu – Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Thammaya Thapa Magar has stressed that local levels should respond to the issue of violence against women by making a special mechanism to minimize it. 
In her address to an orientation on the 'President Women Upliftement Programme' here today, the Minister was of the view that efforts at fighting VAW would remain incomplete until the local government/ representatives became aware of it. 

The local governments have direct concern with the people and a security committee should be established in the area reporting VAW cases. She underlined the need of participation of locals in anti-VAW campaign. 
As stated by the minister, a process has already begun to formulate laws guaranteeing life imprisonment to guilty in rape against women and children. 

Secretary at the Minister Ngaindra Prasad Upadhyay said he believed that a separate programme was not necessary to minimize VAW if one and all make efforts from their respective sides against it. 
Kathmandu District Coordination Committee chair Shyam Sundarraj Baidya said," Despite great political leap in the country, Nepali women continue to suffer violence against them as the same ratio in the past and patriarchy, the rule of male, is blamed for this." 

Various working papers on the topics of "role of local levels in eliminating gender-based violence," concept of gender equality" and "government's efforts at the elimination of gender-based violence", are to be presented in the event will run for tomorrow.