When Sarita, now 16, was married off at the age of 12, her husband turned out to be worse than her father. [break]Sarita too endured violence meted out by her husband and in laws silently as she knew she would have nowhere to go if she dared raise her voice.
The violence against her grew until it culminated in her in laws setting her on fire. Fortunately, Sarita survived as her neighbors rescued her and took her to a hospital.
“There are many women like me in my village and they continue to suffer because speaking against their husband or in laws leads to more trouble. Since the police do not like to hear our grievances, having accessible rescue centers would be of great help,” said Sarita, one of the women whose story is a part of “Digital story telling of victims of domestic violence,” released by SAATHI and Sancharika Samuha in the capital on Wednesday. “If there were such rescue centers, even my mother would not have put up with my father´s cruelty,” she added.
The video, which features heart rendering stories of six women, emphasizes why there is an urgent need to set up rescue homes for female victims of abuse.
“While education and awareness campaigns make a difference in the long term, rescue homes are pressing necessity for women who suffer violence each day. Nepal is a country where more than 50 percent women face such violence,” said Chief Secretary Leelamani Paudyal after watching the video. “It would definitely help hundreds of women to refuse to tolerate various kinds of violence if they knew there are places where they can take shelter.”
Speaking at the program, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Badri Neupane stated that the government is planning to establish 15 rescue homes immediately in the first phase. “Due to the lack budget we have not been able to go ahead with the plan. In view of ever rising cases of violence against women, mainly in the rural and poor families, rescue homes have become essential,” he said.
Several researches in Nepal have indicated that 77 percent of the perpetrators of violence against women are their own family members. The women´s commission, among other organizations working on the issue, state that the cases are rising despite several programs to stop them.
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