No safe space

Women who faced sexual violence during the 10 years of the Maoist armed conflict continue to suffer.

The world is marking International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on June 19. The aim is to make countries and people aware of the need to end conflict-related sexual violence, and honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence. Some progress has been made on this front with the recognition of conflict-related sexual violence under International Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Law and International Human Rights Law. The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has also upheld the right to equal access to justice. Although these laws acknowledged sexual violence conducted in times of conflict or in peacetime as a human rights violation, countries which saw armed conflict—Nepal among them—have launched no major initiatives to address the multiple needs of women who faced sexual violence.