Nepali Women Find Empowerment At Safe Homes For The Deprived

KATHMANDU, NEPAL - MAY 08: A Nepali woman attends a local language course at The Volunteer Society Nepal's Women's center on May 8, 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Volunteer Society Nepal provides local literacy and English language education to women in the Pepsicola district of Kathmandu who have never had any formal education. National statistics in Nepal show the rate of women's literacy as only 30% while the rate of male literacy is over 66%, with an even lower rate of women attending higher education (24%). Many of the women in this program, aged 32 to 75, heard about the school through word of mouth, encouraging each other to attend and to study. Violence against women and girls have been widespread across South Asia and while the world is talking about women's rights and the #MeToo movement, the urgency for action against gender-based violence in Nepal continues to increase where an average of three rapes are reported every day. Reports have indicated there are many more incidents which get away unreported as rape cases have been common in Nepal despite the maximum penalty of 20 years in jail under the Nepalese Penal Code. There are currently 17 government funded safe houses in Nepal, formally known as Women's Service Centers, but the lack of budget and proper management allows widespread reach. Human Rights Watch group pointed out that the lack of coordination and political will to develop a plan has slowed the process in achieving gender equality in Nepal although efforts in ending violence against women and girls through empowerment programs continue to rise. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)