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Defending Women-Defending Rights
Website gives CALL TO ACTION
WOREC - Nepal - Women Human Rights
Defenders Campaign
NEPAL: Women Human Rights Defender Disfigured & Murdered
The National Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders (NAWHRDs) requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Nepal.
Introduction:
NAWHRDs is shocked and appalled about murder of Ms. Uma Singh, journalist of Radio Today FM and a member of Women Human Rights Defender Network, Dhanusha and a resident of Ward Rajyoula Village Development Committee of Janakpur Municipality in Dhanusha district. She was severely mutilated by a group of armed men and later died on the way to a hospital in Kathmandu.
On 11 January, 2008 around 7:45 PM, around 15 group of armed unidentified group entered her residence and attacked her with sharp weapons. Her entire body was disfigured and left to die. She was taken to the district hospital in serious condition. Later, she died on her way to the hospital in Kathmandu.
She was an active journalist and a Women Human Rights Defender working on the issues of human rights and women's human rights. Her tool of advocacy was through the radio from where she raised the issue of Violence Against Women in the community and spoke about it openly with defiance. She was displaced from Siraha district after being affected by Conflict and settled in Dhanusha district.
Dhanusha district lies in the central development region. The respective district has witnessed increasing cases of violence against women. The major trends and patterns of violence are murder, rape and physical battering with numerous cases of dowry based violence. There has been at least 100 documented cases of Violence Against Women in the past 3 years.
The situation of Women Human Rights Defenders fighting for injustice towards women and creating support mechanisms for women to access justice also faces threats of all forms such as Murder, Attacks against Personhood and Reputation, threats (such as death threats, warnings, psychological harassment, Attacks and Intimidation of office staff and family members).
The After Effects:
The NAWHRDs has been informed by the WHRD district network, Dhanusha that they have started their campaign demanding an urgent intervention of the government to conduct an investigation into the murder of Ms. Uma Singh and that the government should guarantee security of WHRDS ".
The state is accountable to ensure women's human rights. It is a gross violation of human rights when a woman faces domestic violence to such an extent that it leads to death. It is even worse when there is a creating of such an atmosphere where women fighting for the rights of the other women are unsafe and insecure and their security is not guaranteed.
This example is a clear indication of the rampant culture of impunity and it is very sad that the state mechanisms have failed to protect and promote human rights of all citizens. There is no rule of law, the state structures is a complete façade and it lacks accountability.
Jyotsna Maskay
Executive Director
Programme Coordinator for Women Human Rights Defenders Campaign
WOREC
P. O. Box 13233
Balkumari, Lalitpur
Nepal
Phone: 977-1-5006373/74,
Fax: 977-1-5006271
Email: worec.whrd@gmail.com
Website: www.worecnepal.org
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