KATHMANDU, Dec 3: Among the 753 local levels across the country only 115 municipalities have established gender-based violence (GBV) prevention funds.

This was shared at a policy dialogue organized on the occasion of the 16-day campaign against Violence against Women (VAW) in the capital city on Friday. The event was hosted jointly by Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Forum of Women, Law and Development and UN Women.

Speaking at the program, Executive Director of FWLD Sabin Shrestha said that even though the GBV fund can be used for violence survivors as much as required, many local levels are found to be hesitating to do so.

The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens had initially released a budget of Rs 100,000 each for every local level in the country to establish the fund. The Government of Province No. 1 has also granted an additional 500,000 rupees to the rural municipalities and municipalities in the province. Many municipalities have allocated up to Rs one million in the fund.

There is a provision whereby the concerned local level receive an amount equivalent to what it has spent through the fund for the violence survivors. However, the fund money has not been spent at the local level. It was shared at the program that the money from the fund was not spent even in the Metropolitan cities.

On the occasion, head of the social development department of the Kathmandu metropolitan city Deepak Adhikari said the department is conducting awareness program against violence against women and girls.

Former president of FWLD Meera Dhungana stressed on the need to launch a civil campaign to end harmful practices like child marriage and polygamy, which are leading to violence against women and girls.

(RSS)

 
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