Tracking Cases of Gender-Based Violence in Nepal: Individual, institutional, legal and policy analyses 2013 This report provides the result of a study undertaken by the University College London (UCL) in partnership with the Centre for Research on Environment, Health and Population Activities (CREHPA). The overall purpose of this study was to map women’s experiences of seeking care, support and redress when they have been the victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and thereby to identify barriers and opportunities to both women’s care seeking, and to improving the policy and programmatic environment. Disclaimer This report was prepared by the University College London in partnership with the Centre for Research on Environmental Health and Population Activities. The study was supported with UK aid from the UK Government and UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, and United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The opinions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the development partners. Note The designation employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNFPA, UN Women and UK aid concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Acknowledgements We are grateful to the University College London (UCL) and the Centre for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA) for conducting this study. We are most grateful to Honorable Ms. Sheikh Chand Tara, Chair National Women’s Commission (NWC) and Honorable Ms. Mohna Ansari, Member, NWC for their guidance throughout the study as Chair of the National Advisory Committee. We express our sincere gratitude to other members of the Advisory Committee: Dr. Karuna Onta (DFID), Mr. Bharat Raj Sharma (MWCSW), Mr. Ratna Kaji Shrestha (International Court of Jurists), Ms. Pinky Singh Rana (Saathi), Ms. Pratisha Dewan (UNICEF), and Mr. Sabin Shrestha (Forum for Women, Law and Development) for their technical support. We acknowledge the support of Ms. Renuka Gurung (Former Staff of ESP/DFID), Ms. Sudha Pant, Ms. Upama Malla, (UNFPA) and Ms. Purna Shrestha (Former staff of UN Women) for coordinating and providing technical support to the study. We acknowledge the contribution of Ms. Kiran Bhatia (UNFPA, Asia Pacific Region) for technical review and feedback. We thank Mr. Durga Khatiwada and Ms. Nerine Guinee (UN Women) and Mr. Ganesh Chaulagain (Former Staff of UNFPA) for their input to the draft report. We appreciate the support of the national and district stakeholders to the study team. Most importantly we acknowledge the support of the GBV survivors who shared their personal experience in this study, without which the study would not be complete. UNFPA - because everyone counts Tracking Cases of Gender-Based Violence in Nepal: Individual, institutional, legal and policy analyses Contributing Authors Dr. Sarah Hawkes Dr. Mahesh Puri Ms. Romi Giri Ms. Binu Lama Dr. Trilochan Upreti Ms. Shaibalini Khadka Ms. Hira Dahal Ms. Bobby Shakya ABBREVIATIONS CDO Chief District Ofcer CEDAW Commitee on the Eliminaton of Discriminaton against Women CREHPA Centre for Research on Environment Health and Populaton Actvites DAW Discriminaton Against Women DAO District Administraton Ofce DDC District Development Commitee DFID Department for Internatonal Development DPHO District Public Health Ofce/ Ofcer DRG District Resource Group DVAW Discriminaton and Violence Against Women ESP Enabling State Programme FIR First Informaton Report FWLD Forum for Women Law and Development GBV Gender Based Violence GBVIMS Gender Bases Violence Informaton Management System GECU Gender Empowerment and Coordinaton Unit GRR Gender Role and Rights HMIS Health Management Informaton System ICJ Internatonal Commission of Jurists IDI In-depth Interview LDO Local Development Ofcer MoHP Ministry of Health and Populaton MWCSW Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare NAC Natonal Advisory Commitee NDHS Nepal Demographic and Health Survey NGO Non-governmental Organizaton NPA Natonal Plan of Acton NWC Natonal Woman Commission OPMCM Ofce of Prime Minister and Council of Minister SLC School Leaving Certfcate UCL University College London UNICEF United Natons Internatonal Children's Emergency Fund UNFPA United Natons Populaton Fund UN Women United Natonal Entty for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women VAWG Violence Against Women and Girls VDC Village Development Commitee WCDO Women and Children Development Ofce WHO World Health Organizaton WOREC Women's Rehabilitaton Center Table of Contents Page No. Abbreviatons …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....... i Executve Summary ..................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................................. 5 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1.1 Country context - the extent of violence against women in Nepal ............................................... 6 1.2 Justfcatons of the study ............................................................................................................. 8 1.3 Study objectves ........................................................................................................................... 9 1.4 Study methodology ...................................................................................................................... 9 1.4.1 Legal and policy review ................................................................................................................ 9 1.4.2 Review of secondary data sources ............................................................................................... 9 1.4.3 Media analysis .............................................................................................................................. 9 1.4.4 Identfcaton of ‘emblematc’ GBV cases and in-depth interviews .............................................. 10 1.4.5 Stakeholder mapping and analysis ............................................................................................... 13 1.4.6 In-depth interviews with District level stakeholders ................................................................... 13 1.4.7 Interviews with Natonal level Stakeholders ............................................................................... 14 1.4.8 Assessing resource allocaton and utlizaton .............................................................................. 14 1.5 Research instruments .................................................................................................................. 14 1.6 Recruitment and training of study team ..................................................................................... 14 1.7 Data collecton ............................................................................................................................. 15 1.8 Data management and analysis ................................................................................................... 15 1.9 Research governance ................................................................................................................... 15 1.10 Ethical consideratons .................................................................................................................. 15 1.11 Challenges .................................................................................................................................... 16 1.12 Report structure ........................................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................................. 17 FINDINGS ................................................................................................................... 17 2.1 The overarching legislatve and policy framework ....................................................................... 17 2.1.1 Internatonal laws and obligatons ............................................................................................... 17 2.1.2 Natonal laws addressing GBV ..................................................................................................... 18 2.1.3 Gaps in current laws .................................................................................................................... 18 2.1.4 Implementaton of laws and policies ........................................................................................... 19 2.2 Analysis of secondary data sources ............................................................................................. 19 2.3 Media content analysis ................................................................................................................ 22 2.3.1 Quanttatve fndings .................................................................................................................... 22 2.3.2 Qualitatve fndings ....................................................................................................................