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According to the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, one in five women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence in their lifetime, while one in four married women have experienced spousal, physical, sexual, or emotional violence. UNFPA estimated that there were 15 million additional cases of gender-based violence (GBV) for every three months of lockdown. It also states that in Nepal, “women and girls may be at higher risk of intimate partner violence and other forms of domestic violence and also face increased risks of other forms of GBV, including sexual exploitation and abuse.”

To address these issues, in 2010, the Government of Nepal in 2010 enacted the GBV Elimination (GBVE) Fund Regulation which established a fund at the federal level. After federalization, the government amended it in 2019 to establish it at all three levels of government—federal, provincial, and local. Following the amendment, in 2020, the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC) introduced guidelines to facilitate the provision of grants from this fund to provincial and local governments. Many local level bodies, however, have not taken advantage of these grants.

On 18 June 2021, the UNESCO-UNFPA-UN Women Joint Programme, with support from KOICA, organised its second Community of Knowledge (CoK) in partnership with the Forum for Women, Law, and Development (FWLD), entitled “Establishment of GBV Elimination Fund at Local Level and its Effectiveness,” to share the experiences of local governments in establishing GBVE funds.

Deputy Mayors from three target municipalities of the Joint Programme participated – Sabina Chaudhary, Deputy Mayor of Ramdhuni Municipality in Sunsari, Sarita Upadhyaya, Deputy Mayor of Mangalsen Municipality in Achham, and Tara Khati, Deputy Mayor of Budhiganga Municipality in Bajura. All three expressed that there was still a lot of confusion surrounding the implementation of the guidelines, but that coordination with government officials has helped.

They explained that GBV survivors can register their request for relief services directly at the municipality with full confidentiality. The municipal-level Relief Committee then analyzes the request and responds accordingly. This includes providing survivors with psycho-social and legal counseling, as well as referral services to safe houses or other service providers such as NGOs and health care entities. All three deputy mayors allocated a separate budget to contribute to the GBVE Fund, in addition to the token grant provided by the federal government, with plans to further expand this budget. They also committed to administering a budget for the Fund on behalf of the local level, which is required by the GBVE Fund Regulation to allocate their own resources under their own laws.

Sindhu Pathak, from the MoWCSC GBV Fund Department, explained that the Fund is easier to establish in municipalities where representatives are aware and sensitive to GBV-related issues. Though only 60 out of 753 local levels have established the Fund so far, the MoWCSC has issued circulars to all local levels requesting them to set one up, with the Ministry ready to provide any support required.

“If the Fund is not created at local levels, victims will have to depend on the federal government to receive any response or relief services. Since it is not possible for all victims to have access to federal level funds, this situation may re-victimize GBV survivors.”

-- Sindhu Pathak, Officer at GBV Fund Department of MoWCSC

Lastly, Fulmaya Chaudhary, Sub-inspector of Rautahat Police, Women, Children, and Senior Citizen Service Center, shared her experiences of working in a municipality that has not yet established the GBVE Fund. GBV cases have increased during the pandemic and there are no places for victims to go for response services. Minimal support from a few NGOs and civil society organizations has not been enough. In light of this, Fulmaya Chaudhary hopes her local level representatives will establish the Fund as soon as possible.

“It is absolutely essential that local governments take the initiative and establish the GBVE Fund. I hope that the local representatives in Rautahat will take inspiration from the other local levels where the Fund is already established, like the ones present today in this program.” 

-- Fulmaya Chaudhary, Sub-inspector of Rautahat Police, Women, Children and Senior Citizen Service Cent

Overall, the speakers shared two main recommendations: 1) The federal government should conduct programs to build local-level capacity in relation to establishing and implementing the GBVE Fund; and 2) Support needs to be mobilized through media platforms to raise awareness on the existence and importance of the local level GBVE Funds.

The session, broadcast live on Facebook, has received 47,000 views, 783 likes, 144 comments, and 31 shares to date. Attendees shared constructive and positive comments, including the importance of coordination between the federal and local governments as well as service providers and civil society networks.

About the UNESCO-UNFPA-UN Women Joint Programme

“Empowering Adolescent Girls and Young Women through the Provision of Comprehensive Sexuality Education and a Safe Learning Environment in Nepal” is a Joint Programme led by UNESCO, UNFPA, and UN Women with support from KOICA aiming to empower girls and young women through an integrated approach to education, health, and gender equality. For more inquiries, contact the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu at kathmandu@unesco.org

URL:

https://en.unesco.org/news/fighting-gender-based-violence-gbv-elimination-fund-rural-nepal