Women march on Kathmandu streets to protest rising rape incidents

KATHMANDU, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 100 Nepali women from different walks of life marched on the streets of Kathmandu on Thursday morning with the theme "Rage against rape".

On the occasion of the 108th International Women's Day, these women from different professions came under a same roof through a social media campaign.

Individuals of all ages participated in the walkathon, raising their voices against the increasing rape incidents across the country.

Wearing white t-shirts with "#RageAgainstRape" written on it, they hoped to draw attention of the government and stakeholders to take strong action against the rising rape cases.

Hima Bista, a social media campaigner, told Xinhua on the spot, "We don't belong to any organization but have come together to raise the cross-cutting issue that has been alarming our society lately. We are voicing against injustice and are pressurizing the authorities for prompt action against culprits."

According to data released by Nepal Police, five rape cases are reported every day on an average in the country. In the last fiscal year alone, over 1,600 rape cases were filed across the country.

The participants marched silently on the streets holding placards written "Women's body is women's right," "Unsafe and insecure, how long?" "I will challenge stereotypes and bias," among others.

"We hear about rape incidents almost every day, its horrific. We are witnessing such but I don't want the next generation of my little daughter to live amid such fear," Anita Thapa, another campaigner, shared with Xinhua.

Most of the participants shared that they feel unsafe within the community owing to incidents of sexual violence against women. Many complained that there is no strong mechanism of justice system for the victims.

"Lately, many of the victims are struggling to life and death while the culprits are running freely. The government must act soon and ensure safety for all women and girls," another campaigner Luna Bhattarai told Xinhua.

The social media campaign plans to continue to raise their voice against rape cases and stand by survivors. Enditem