Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Uma Regmi has emphasized that gender-based violence cannot be stopped if the society is not awakened, and thereby called for a social awakening initiative.
Speaking at an interaction organized on the occasion of the 16-day campaign against violence against women (VAW) jointly by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, and the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD), she said that as enforcement of laws and efforts by the government have not been able to stop GBV, social awakening was required.
Pointing out the need to change the nature of programs being implemented to prevent VAW, Minister Regmi said the political parties should also get actively involved in running awareness campaigns against VAW.
She also said that the ministry representing 80 percent of the population, including women, children and senior citizens, should be provided with a budget of at least five billion rupees annually to work substantially in the sector.
Joint secretary at the ministry, Laxmi Kumari Basnet, said that not only women but also children, senior citizens and men are victims of violence. She said that violence occurs right from pregnancy to old age.
Also speaking at the program, Executive Director of FWLD, Sabin Shrestha said cyber violence has also started to increase and hence knowledge about it should be expanded.
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