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Violence against women is a major human rights violation in Nepal. One type of violence perpetrated against women is accusing them of witchcraft, especially in the Terai and hilly rural regions, which makes them vulnerable to abuse. This paper provides an overview of the problems regarding accusations of witchcraft against innocent and poor women, who are then treated badly by a range of people in their communities. In this paper, I look at how such superstitions and religious belief have impacted the lives of women and the efforts for change that are being made by women's rights networks and other stakeholders. It also examines existing legal provisions and the current status of policy enforcement on the ground. Further, it seeks to find out how women's rights/human rights organizations, activists and NGOs are working to abolish this barbaric practice through the use of case studies. The paper concludes with recommendations and a list of steps that still need to be taken to protect such women and allow them to live with dignity.
Keywords: women; witchcraft; discriminatory practice; dignity; women's rights forum; human rights organization; NGO; superstitious belief
Abstract in Nepali
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Introduction
Women often symbolize mothers of all human creation and are respected for their maternal characteristics. A woman is seen to create life, nurture and strengthen it. An educated mother can bring up educated children. When a woman is brought up with strength and security, her love is a gift to all humankind. However, when she is brought up in an environment of fear and abuse, her pain is passed on to the next generation. Women have been abused in every sphere of society, often treated as secondclass citizens and commodities or objects (Gurung, 2010). Different forms of violence against women are widespread all over the world. Violence against women is one of the main human rights violations in Nepal, particularly in rural areas. Among different types of violence perpetrated against women, the accusation of witchcraft is a problem in Nepal and one that makes women more vulnerable to abuse.
Witchcraft is a purely spiritual, generally involuntary activity. The power of witchcraft is supposedly used to influence things, such as the health, longevity, sickness, drowning or death...