Sexual harassment in Nepal’s professional context: What to get out of too frequent cases?

We frequently hear about accusations and allegations of sexual abuse and harassment by men belonging to different professional backgrounds and contexts. As the news of an allegation begins to surface, we as audiences get caught in a dilemma: whether to believe or disbelieve the survivors because in most cases, allegations of sexual harassment are based on private behaviour or action whose evidence is not publicly available.

Based on the patriarchal mindsets still prevalent in Nepal, most of us assume that women are more vulnerable to abuse and harassment compared to men. However, the issues, causes, intentions, and reasons associated with sexual harassment are much more complex, peculiar, contextual, and particular than the narratives of allegations and accusations we find in sensational news or social media content.