Citation

Sapkota S. Health Prospect 2011; 10: 48-50.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Publisher Nepal Journals Online)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

Violence against women (VAW) is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women (The UN Declaration on the Elimination of VAW, 1993).

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights. (VAW) has been recognized globally as a public health problem which violates human rights and incurs substantial social, economic and health costs. It can include physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse cutting across boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity, geography and age. Globally, six out of every ten women experience physical or sexual violence.

In Nepal, violence against women started being openly discussed and addressed only in the last decade. The general taboo of not accepting this form of violence was related to strong patriarchal society and limited freedom of expression of such social evils. It has therefore been openly discussed as the most common form of gender based violence as domestic violence, or gender based violence in families.

Language: en