if different from Nepali, during family visitation.
Prison authorities scrutinize or read all
correspondence to and from the prisoners.
Furthermore, the prison staff may use any weapon
against the prisoners with impunity.
There are no separate prisons for women in Nepal.
Women sentenced to imprisonment have to be kept
in separate cells from women awaiting trial, but in
practice, it is not always the case. Besides suffering
from physical and psychological trauma, female
prisoners often become victims of sexual abuse and
exploitation by prison wardens and male prisoners.
Most of the laws that address prisoners’ rights are
outdated and not fully in line with international
treaties and conventions.
C. Violence against women.
Trafficking:
Trafficking is one of the critical human rights issues
faced by Nepal because it violates several rights of
the victim and causes slavery like practice. Various
studies, research, and case studies have highlighted
the problems faced by the trafficked women and
children, who have been deceived by people engaged
in human trafficking. In addition, the absence of
clear and uniform understanding of trafficking
among various offices of His Majesty’s Government
has been a problem in addressing the problem by
formulating effective legislation and policies. Lately,
the number of Nepalese women going overseas
for employment is steadily increasing; and it is
suspected that a large number of them leave Nepal
in conditions that have semblance of trafficking.
In order to prevent migrants from being trafficked
it is necessary to study, monitor and analyze the details
and take appropriate measures to address the
problems.
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Violence against women alleged to be a Boksi
(Witch):
Lately, there has been an alarming rise in the
number of women brutally beaten and/or treated
inhumanly on alleged charges of practicing
witchcraft. Such incidents are occurring in
various parts of the country and a number of
complaints have been lodged at the Commission.
The absence of legislation against superstition and
other effective enforcement measures as well as
the interest of the authorities have not helped
curb the situation.
Domestic Violence and Dowr y Related
Violence:
Domestic violence against women is a major problem
in Nepal but very few get reported. The common
types of the domestic violence are physical violence,
psychological or emotional violence, sexual abuse and
economic abuse of women by their husbands or
in-laws. The absence of legislation on domestic
violence, and orthodox social norms coupled with
economic dependency of women on the family
have not helped change the situation.
Dowry related violence is another major problem in
Nepal. Such violence is most common in the eastern
Terai region of Nepal but are spread all over the
country in their subtle forms. While the Social
Practice (Reform) Act sets a ceiling on dowry and
wedding related expenses, the law is blatantly violated
by everyone, and even by the senior most lawmakers.
The Act needs to be amended to make it pragmatic
and effective, and firmly enforced to curb dowry
related violence.
Sexual harassment at work and public places:
Sexual harassment is another form of violence