Protect Women in Nepal!

Dear Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal,

We are writing to express our concern at the obstacles faced by women survivors of violence in their struggle to access justice in Nepal.

Violence against women is a serious and widespread problem in Nepal. On 5 December 2008, in a seminar in Kathmandu the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Kedar Nath Upadhyay, noted his concern with increasing reports of domestic violence, dowry deaths and sexual violence cases. Dhana Kumari Sunar, a member of the National Women's Commission, reports that every year tens of thousands of women in Nepal experience violence, 80\% of which is domestic violence. While concern with gender based violence has been widely discussed, the protection risks facing womens human rights defenders (WHRDs) who take up issues of domestic and sexual violence is less well known.

Women human rights defenders continue to face harassment and in some cases have been killed.

Asia Pacific Youth Network is calling on the government of Nepal to adopt a zero tolerance policy on violence against women and take all possible measures to ensure the safety of women human rights defenders, particularly in rural areas.

The Nepali government must:

Say No to Violence against women and:
** Promote a campaign for zero tolerance of acts of violence against women and ensure that those responsible, including members of the security forces and non-state actors, are brought to justice;
** Implement all international and regional treaties, declarations, resolutions and recommendations aimed at condemning, prohibiting and preventing all acts of violence against women;

Deliver on Protection and:
** Recognize and protect women's human rights including the right to life, the right to be free from discrimination and all rights that protect women from gender-based violence;
** The authorities must take all possible measures to ensure the safety of women human rights defenders, particularly in rural areas;
** Develop a national plan of action to implement the UN Declaration enabling human rights defenders to carry out their legitimate work without fear or reprisals.

We would be grateful if you could inform us of the steps taken to fulfil this commitment.

Thank you for your attention on such an important issue.