Youth against sexual abuse

In Nepal, rape attempts in Province 1 totaled 167, Madhes 115, Bagmati 88, Gandaki 56, Lumbini 134, Karnali 46, and Sudurpaschim 89, according to crime data against women for the fiscal year 2077/078. NepalNews spoke to a few of the young people about the recent case of Sushmita Regmi and the ongoing protest for her justice.

Pawana Shrestha, a 24-year-old businesswoman, says, "I think women are speaking up about sexual harassment, assault, or rape they faced because they feel like they are being heard and also in the hope that they will get justice.”

According to Shrestha, Regmi has received a lot of support from the public and the perpetrator has been arrested, which is encouraging women to stand up for themselves. "People have no choice but to protest and take to the streets because the government is not taking strict action against the rapist," she says.

Even though they have equal opportunities as men, she believes the government should make strict punishments for the perpetrators and repeal the law requiring women to file a rape case within a year and replace it with a better one so that people don't have to come to the street and protest again.

Shrestha says, "Offenders might think twice before repeating the same behavior if they are held accountable and are punished" She further adds, "However because Nepal's legal system for women is sorely lacking, demonstrating is the first step in pressuring the government and the general public."

She gets shivers and is horrified whenever she hears about rape cases. Even though she considers herself to be strong, courageous, and fearless, she is nonetheless terrified of something that may happen to her anywhere, at any time, just like the victim. 

"When Regmi told her experience, she gave many more females a voice. They're talking about things they couldn't tell anyone about years ago because no one believed them," she continues. According to Shrestha, women are not just unsafe in beauty pageants, but in any field, even their own homes. Shrestha also asks people who are still holding back to come out and speak up.

"It's astonishing how nowadays women are speaking for themselves and not concealing," Malati K.C, 28, expresses. "If one individual speaks up, I believe it will inspire others to do the same. It's usually one simple move that motivates someone to battle against the negative aspects of their lives."

She has participated in protests whenever one has occurred, however, she does not believe it is effective. Even if you fight for justice day and night, at the end of the day, people with power win the war. You just keep battling regardless of the outcome.

It’s not only women who think so. Anmol Chettri, 26, also adds, "Though the topic is incredibly sensitive, I believe it is preferable to speak about it now because if not now, when? I am confident that the surge in rape cases in Nepal is due to our ineffective administration and legislation, which allow political parties to promote and support criminals and goon for personal advantage."

He believes that people only protest when they hear of someone being raped and that there are no ongoing actions. Criminals gain confidence to keep repeating their actions as they aren't penalized for their crimes.

Citing the case of Nirmala Panta, he continues, "We can't even picture what her parents are going through. It's been over four years since this tragedy occurred, yet justice is still a long way away because the culprit is free.” In the case of Sushmita Regmi, he believes that persons in positions of authority not only abuse their positions but also persuade other offenders to perform the same crime.