Zonta Club Kathmandu continues its series of webinar on VAW; makes candid and fruitful discussion on truth of Domestic Violence during Covid-19  

Zonta Club of Kathmandu has organized a Webinar titled “Behind Closed Doors: Unleashing the Truth of Domestic Violence during COVID-19” as a response to the increasing cases of domestic violence against women, especially after the lockdown. This was the second session in the series which focused on the economical and psychological impact on youth. The aim of the session was to bring awareness especially amongst the youth and find solutions to the increasing cases of violence against women amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

The Webinar was part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign 2020 that Zonta Club of Kathmandu organized in collaboration with Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), International Labor Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Pourakhi, and with support from Kumari Bank Limited and the Royal Thai Embassy Nepal to raise awareness to end violence against women.

With the ongoing pandemic, there has been an alarming increase in the cases of violence against women and girls in Nepal – especially in cases of domestic violence. As staying home and limiting social activity has been regarded as the primary preventive measure to curb the virus, vulnerable victims are trapped inside their homes with their perpetrators without access to safety and protection. Alongside with the psychological impact, the economic impact of this has been tremendous.

The session was moderated by the esteemed Mr. Sabin Shrestha, Executive Director, Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD). He spoke about the difficulties that woman are facing at this time, as they are stuck at home with the perpetrator. He said at this time even the law is under lockdown, as people can’t report crimes. They have to get a PCR report to go to court and report. He stressed the need for home delivery services for domestic violence cases too.

Introductory remarks were made by Ms. Lorena Lando, Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration (IOM). And, a live poem recital on the subject matter was performed by Ms. Nisha Karki, Member of Word Warriors.

The eminent speakers in the session were: 

Ms. Chetana Shreng, President, Mahila Sanjal Dharan and Women Right’s Activist

Ms. Karuna Kunwar, Senior Psychologist/CISMU-UNDSS Certified Stress Counsellor

Ms. Hima Bista, Executive Director, Women LEAD Nepal

Loreno Lando,Chief of mission IOM spoke about raising awareness on Gender-Based Violence during Covid - 19 and stressed on how victims should be able to report their problems and not hide it due to fear. She said it was time to Break the Chain and mentioned the importance of setting a precedent of denouncement.”

Hima Bista, Woman Lead Nepal commented, “She spoke about frustration amongst them youth at this time of Covid. She spoke in length about how we should also include boys and men and not segregate only woman when we talk about violence. She spoke about how we need to teach our boys too. She talked about young boys who go through bullying and Harassment too.”

The Webinar was a highly productive session with a turnout of over …attendees. The program not only managed to effectively address the various economical and psychological impacts of domestic violence on youth during COVID-19 but also provided key solutions on how to break the cycle and pave the way for future generations. Zonta in collaboration with its partner organizations will be organizing various other events throughout the 16 Days Campaign to further raise awareness to end violence against women and girls.