KATHMANDU, Aug 9: Rape is among the leading crimes against women in all of South Asia. Though the majority of rape victims are women, rape can’t be defined by gender.

However, in countries with male dominance, the number of female rape victims is strikingly high. According to Al Jazeera, an average of three rapes occurs in Nepal every day.

There is no denying that males get raped too but there is very fewer evidence of males revealing themselves as rape victims.

Moreover, the ease social media has provided in conveying messages have made social injustices like rape more prominent. 

However, people have their own viewpoints on how rapes occur and how it is taken in the society: 

Sophiya Shrestha, 24, Student 
People often blame the victims and the type of dress they wear. Nobody has the right to tell someone what to wear and what not to wear unless it directly harms another person.  I think it is all about the mentality that rapists possess.  I have felt that people are affected by social media as it induces youths towards it, rather than educating them.  

Bijay Aryal, 23, Civil Engineer
One of the main reasons behind the increasing number of rapes is illiteracy. In patriarchal societies, men often hold the belief of sexual entitlement. People are evolving as more violent beings. From the young age, they are expected to suppress their sexual desires leading them to frustrations and mental imbalances which could be one of the factors causing rape. Likewise, I believe there should be a system of the death penalty to discourage this inhumane act. 

Silvia Malla, 23, student 
Parents should educate their children, especially the male child, about the issues like consent, sexual assault, and rape from an early age. There are no clear actions against rapes. Media can play a vital role in pressurizing the government to take powerful actions against rapists. This heinous activity will cease to exist only if the people change the sick mentality concerning rape. 

Ram Maharjan, 34, Artist  
In my opinion, there are two main reasons behind rape: social and political. The upbringing of a girl and a boy is the guiding factor in shaping the way of thinking. Even the simple act of placing students of different genders in the same bench is forbidden in many schools. This segregation represses the sexual desires, which in the long run encourage rape. Security policy should be very strong in the country which ensures harsh punishment for rapists and all forms of sexual assaulters. 

Tanu Thakuri, 22, Dental student
First and foremost, to reduce rape in a country like ours, we will need a strong enforcement of laws. Some girls are even assaulted by their own family, but keeping their reputation above all, they remain silent. Girls and boys should be raised equally and should be given basic sex education from an early beginnings. 

Sushan Nepal, 18, student
As rape cases are increasing day by day, what I think is that it happens due to the mentality of people and how they perceive their opposite sex. The consumption of drugs and alcohol also play a role as it creates mental imbalances and fills the minds of people with negativity. There is no proper sex education, and people seem shy to even talk about sex. People think women wearing short dresses can provoke men but that is not true because it is evident that most of the rape cases have occurred in the areas where women are largely covered.