The Institute of Integrated Development Studies in coordination with the Department of Gender Studies Tribhuvan University, hosted a discussion titled “Rage Against Impunity” at IIDS Campus on the 1st of March 2023. The discussion aimed at creating a platform for discourse as well as raising awareness on the culture of impunity in our society for cases of violence committed against women and girls.
The panelists of the event were Ms. Kamala Hemchuri, A Dalit Rights Activist, Ms. Neeti Aryal Khanal, Professor at Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Gender Studies at TU, Adv. Rukmanee Maharjan, Assistant Professor at Nepal Law Campus, Ms. Kailash Rai, an activist, freelance researcher and writer, and presenter Dr. Madhurima Bhadra, a public health expert. Ms. Yukta Poudel, an intern at the IIDS Center for Governance and Academic Affairs and a student of Gender Studies, Tribhuvan University was the moderator for the event.
The discussion focused on several key themes, including health, legal reformations, social implications, role of media and Dalit issues. These topics were selected because they reflect the important aspects of understanding and addressing the impacts of sexual violence on the survivor as well as the society as a whole.
Health
Public health expert, Dr. Madhurima Bhadra commenced the event with a presentation on Violence Against Women and Girls from a medical perspective. During her presentation, Dr. Bhadra shed light on the physical and psychological consequences of rape, emphasizing that rape is an act that is non-consensual and is not driven by sexual desire, but rather, represents a pathological assertion of power over another person. She also elaborated on the various forms of violence that women and girls face, including economic, emotional, psychological, physical and sexual violence.
In addition to this, Dr. Bhadra spoke about the different types of violence that women and girls experience at different stages of their lives, and highlighted how violence against women and girls often starts before they are even born, sex-selective abortion being one of the primary examples. Furthermore, she dispelled a few myths surrounding violence against women and girls.
Dr. Bhadra concluded her presentation by emphasizing the importance of consensual sexual experiences and offering suggestions on how we can collectively put an end to sexual violence.
Legal reformations
Adv. Rukmani Maharjan discussed the legal definition of rape according to the 2017 National Penal Code. She explained the coverage of rape laws–she explained what statutory rape is and also pointed out that while rape against women is covered by the law, rape against men is not. Ms. Maharjan highlighted the need for global references and reformation in the definition of rape. She suggested gender-neutral terms such as “person” or “people” used in Canada.
Ms. Maharjan also emphasized the importance of having a clear definition of rape, particularly in the context of Nepal, to avoid victim-blaming. She discussed India’s differentiation between consent, will and the absolute requirement for their concurrence in order for a sexual act to legally be considered mutual and stressed on the importance of this distinction. Ms. Maharjan also raised the issue of how the statute of limitations is problematic in Nepal. She pointed out how although the statute of limitations has been repeatedly revised, these revisions have not been sensitive enough to the needs of survivors. Ms. Maharjan also highlighted that the technical definition of rape in Nepal has its shortcomings. As an example, Ms. Maharjan drew attention to the fact that in Nepal, using objects to penetrate a person’s vagina is considered rape, but not when it occurs in other parts including the cloaca.
Social Implications
Professor of sociology and anthropology Dr. Niti Aryal Khanal, presented the findings of a three-year report that showed that almost half of reported criminal incidents in Nepal were rape-related, with 83.4% of perpetrators being men, and the majority of them known to the survivor. The report also revealed that 62.81% of sexual assault victims were minors. Dr. Khanal discussed how the prevalence of victim blaming and rape culture is a major issue that contributes to inaction, making it easier to keep women under control instead of holding perpetrators accountable. Dr. Khanal highlighted how Nepali society nurtures victim blaming from childhood, and how even lawyers and women can be complicit in it.
Dr. Khanal spoke on how rape is not just an individual’s issue but a national and global issue not just in terms of psychosocial impact but also economic cost. She pointed out that the global economic loss caused by violence against women and the intergenerational trauma it causes has been more than $1.2 trillion. Dr. Khanal also discussed how survivors of sexual assault often become a repeating survivor or an abuser themselves, due to a distorted sense of care resulting from the normalization of abuse. Dr. Khanal emphasized the importance of cultivating healthy relationships and creating discourse and awareness around what a healthy relationship encompasses in order to end this cycle.
The Role of Media
Activist and freelance writer Ms. Kailash Rai, discussed the portrayal of women in culture and media, including the connection of a woman’s vagina to family honor, and the “normalization” of rape. Ms. Rai explained how rape is about power, subjugation and instilling fear in women. Ms. Rai described how growing up there were barely any films free from attempted rape of the female protagonist and a hero who enters and “saves” her. She touched on how depictions of rape, recent cases of impunity, and media portrayals of women as the one that compromises and is forgiving of betrayals made towards her not only normalize rape but also perpetuate and instill sexism.
Ms. Rai also addressed the intersection of ethnicity and gender in media portrayals, the acceptance of sexism in society, and the silencing and demonization of “vocal” women. She talked about how society scorns women that do not fit this meek narrative. Ms. Rai discussed the
portrayal of “vulgar” characters in media and how they were almost always represented by minority ethnicities. Women from minority and indigenous communities are not bound by Hindu conservatism and their independence is taken as vulgar. This portrayal, she says, adds to the intersectional marginalization of minority ethnicities and normalizes violence against them.
Ms. Rai also emphasized the need to question these media portrayals and to think critically about government and court decisions.
Dalit Women
During a discussion on the intersectional disadvantages faced by the Dalit community, Dalit rights activist Ms. Kamala Hemchuri highlighted the fact that the state has seemingly upheld the caste system, which leads to Dalits being seen as inferior humans. Hemchuri emphasized that among the Dalit community, women are the most vulnerable and marginalized, and they face various forms of violence. She believes that the root causes of this violence is more cultural and systemic rather than natural. Hemchuri further explained that some of the earliest laws in our society were based on the caste system and the current laws are still heavily influenced by these ancient caste-based laws, which further marginalizes Dalit women.
In the same issue Ms. Rukmani Maharjan also drew attention to the systematic oppression and discrimination often experienced by Dalit women at the hands of law enforcement and government bodies, particularly in cases of violence. Examples of this include the failure to register cases and negligence in the investigation process.
Concluding Remarks by Prof. Dr. Bindu Pokharel and Prof. Dr. Sucheta Pyakuryal
At the conclusion of the program, Prof. Dr. Bindu Pokharel, Head of the Department of Gender Studies at Tribhuvan University, delivered a Vote of Thanks. During her address, she drew attention to the Gender Studies Department’s ongoing initiatives and research while stressing on the importance of gender sensitivity in various aspects of society, such as educational institutions and the media. Additionally, she urged all attendees to question the values, beliefs and norms of our society and hold ourselves accountable for our actions. Dr. Pokharel also announced the beginning of our e-signature campaign to bring voices together to hold the government accountable and end impunity against rape.
The Closing Remarks of the event was delivered by Prof. Dr. Sucheta Pyakuryal, Director for Center of Governance and Academic Affairs at IIDS. She concluded the program by emphasizing the lack of support in the issues concerning impunity and stressed the need to find our way forward to end violence against women.
The event summary was prepared by Yukta Poudel and Ritu Bhattarai, interns at IIDS.