Kathmandu: Every year, November 25 marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism and the UNITE campaigns.
This year, the whole world celebrated 16 days of activism against gender-based violence from November 25 to December 10 with the theme “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls”.
Many women across Nepal, however, endured the deadliest forms of violence including murder, manhandling, torture, and attack among others over the period of 16 days.
Some incidents of violence against women in Nepal speak severity about the volume of inhumanity against women. These incidents also indicate that violence against women is overlooked by government authorities.
Apart from the indifference of the government, these incidents also indicate that the efforts by national and as well as international civil society organizations and UN agencies need to be redesigned to cover the most disadvantaged groups.
While the campaign was running, women lost their lives through gender-based violence. Nepal Live Today has gathered at least six representational incidents that occurred over the 16 days.
The deadliest incidents show the severity of the prevalence of the violence and demand an urgent need that efforts by all stakeholders need to go beyond the formalities such as organizing conferences, seminars, and panel discussions for the cause to end gender-based violence.
The horrific incidents listed below tell the stories of inhumanity, human suffering, and the gravity of gender-based violence in the country.
A gruesome murder in Surkhet
On November 18, a shocking photo went viral on social media. It was a picture of a man running away with his wife’s head in a plastic bag. He had brutally murdered his wife. The incident happened at Panchapuri Municipality-3 in Surkhet district.
The man named Amar Bahadur Ale, 38, who then fled, was arrested by police on the charge of murdering his wife Mina, 30. Amar had just recently returned to Nepal from foreign employment. The preliminary investigation of police found that Amar killed his wife following a family dispute.
Talking to Nepal Live Today, the Surkhet Police said that they are further investigating the case.
A young woman set ablaze herself
A woman, who burnt herself on December 4 outside the house of her ex-fiancé, died in the course of treatment. The woman had burnt herself just a few days after the boy’s side broke off the engagement. Pushpa Neupane, 27, of Baneshwor-10, who met the sad end, had poured petrol on her body and torched herself at around 7:00pm just outside her former fiancé Sudhan Sangraula’s house in Dhumbarahi.
Pushpa, who worked at the Kelme brand showroom at Durbar Marg, met Sudhan more than a year ago after the latter came to her showroom. It is unknown why the engagement was broken.
According to police, the boy had affairs with other girls too, and their relationship was not smooth. The kins of Pushpa have filed a case against four members of the Sangraula family, accusing them of abetting the suicide.
Killed by boyfriend
Maya Luhar, 21, a resident of Pancheshwar Rural Municipality-4 in Baitadi district, was murdered by his boyfriend. On November 30, Luhar’s body was found with her throat slit in a jungle in Pancheshwar-4.
According to police, Armed Police Force constable Bharat Ram Koli murdered Maya. The police also said that Koli also attempted to kill Maya’s niece Neha, who was found in critical condition.
The preliminary investigation by Nepal Police found that Koli might have killed Maya suspecting she was in a relationship with some other guy. Police are further investigating the case.
Husband kills wife
Nankala Basnet, 26, a resident of Gulariya Municipality-1 in Bardiya district, was beaten to death by her husband Bodh Raj Basnet. The husband, according to police, beat Nankala on November 28 over a family dispute.
Critically injured Nankala died when she was being rushed to the hospital. Police have already arrested Bodhraj and are investigating the case.
Murder in horrific circumstance
Amrita Kumari Yadav (Rita), 28, a resident of Bateshwar Rural Municipality-5 in Dhanusha district, was killed by her husband Birendra Kumar Yadav, 32, on December 12.
Birendra hit Amrita with an ax over a minor dispute, said police. She died in the course of treatment at Kavya Hospital in Janakpur. Police have already launched an investigation into the case.
Yet another deadliest incident
Hiralal Rajak, 52, attacked his wife with sharp weapons at Rajbiraj Municipality-1 in Saptari district.
The body of Gita, 40, was recovered from the passage of an under-construction fertilizer company’s building in Rajbiraj-1. The deceased had injuries in her head and face. Police are investigating the case.
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