These truly are disheartening times as the country reels from the continuing effects of COVID, amongst political and economical instabilities the masses of the nation are faced with a more harrowing truth. The security of the women in our country is one that is deteriorating with each passing day, with the threat increasing exponentially every year.
Through the years with the ever increasing population of the country, the nation also sees the increase in the number of crimes, more towards women and children. Despite measures being taken to prevent these vile acts from taking place and the general hope that with the changing time people become more educated and thus the occurrence of such acts decrease, the trend seems to be ever increasing. Data from the Women, Children and Senior Citizen organ of the Nepal Police, report that since 2003 there have been more than 15,000 recorded cases of rape registered with the police. With Kathmandu Police, this year, alone report harrowing figures of 98 rape cases registered by this August.
The situation of the Chitwan Jail in Bhadrapur stands testament to the repugnance the women in our society find themselves living in. Chitwan Jail which as of today has more than 70 % of the cells filled with sexual violence perpetrators. Out of the 280 inmates, 203 are those accused and convicted of rape and sexual misconduct against women. But this heart-rending factoid sadly isn't only limited to Chitwan. In conversation with spokesperson from various districts jails, the Parsa jails reports 164 out of 1300 inmates, Kaski jail reports 270 out of 420 and the valley’s own Nakkhu jail reports 326 out of 1380 inmates to be rapists and sexual misconduct inmates.
The general consensus that can be inferred from stats that have more than 1/3rds of their facilities filled with rapists and sexual perpetrators, is that the numbers have and will continue to rise every year. According to one of the wardens, the numbers have been increasing even more amid COVID.
The onset of COVID and people spending extended periods indoors seems not only to have increased numbers of sexual violence but also the number of domestic violence cases too. The Chitwan police already have more than 190 cases of domestic violence from July to December of this year itself, with the number of rape cases being at 51 for the same term. Just when one thinks things couldn’t be any worse, the fact that there have been more than hundred thousand cases of domestic violence reported since 2003 across Nepal is an indictment to the status and treatment of women in our country.
The time to come down on such deplorable acts is nigh. The society cannot continue to exist in a limbo, one where women feel insecure to walk and work in their own streets. Simply acknowledging the existence of such vile acts and condemning them under our breaths simply won’t do. If we are to move forward from this point on, there must be a lot of self-reflection followed by swift action and decisions being made.
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