Maheela Samsāra by Giacomo d'Orlando

Public Story

Maheela Samsāra

Copyright Giacomo d'Orlando 2024

Date of Work Apr 2015 - Ongoing

Updated Jul 2021

Location nepal,

Topics Abuse, Civil Rights, Documentary, Domestic Violence, Editorial, Essays, Freedom, Hope, Human Rights, Isolation, NGO, Photography, Photojournalism, Violence, Womens Rights

The pandemic had tremendous effects on the world's economy and on the social fabric of every society, especially in Developing Countries such as Nepal. Women and girls in particular are facing a greater risk, as they are systematically disadvantaged and often suppressed by poverty, violence and marginalization. The fear and uncertainty caused by the pandemic have intensified various inequalities against women, resulting in violence. The figures of violence against women increased during the lockdown and are likely to do it thereafter. Gender Based Violence (GBV) was already a growing problem in Nepal prior the pandemic. UNFPA suggests that 48% of Nepali women had experienced violence at some point in their lives, with 27% of them experiencing physical violence. In addition, 61% of them had never told anyone about the abuse. Getting real data on GBV is a major challenge in a Country like Nepal, as few victims report their dramatic experiences. The core cause for this is the stigma associated with being a GBV victim, a tendency to blame women and girls for their own assaults, and the importance of family honor, all of which prevent victims and families from reporting. Pre-existing gender inequality is a fundamental cause of the reproduction of gender-related vulnerability during crises. Due to channelization of resources and other efforts to contain the virus during the critical months of pandemic, the services provided specifically for GBV survivor diminished, even if several independent NGO never gave up on the fight of this social plague even during these difficult times. This is the case of Apeiron, an NGO that welcomes women victims of violence in its shelter called "Casa Nepal", where the GBV survivors can feeling safe again and begin a psychological rehabilitation process aimed to reintegrate them in the society. Unfortunately the commendable work of the NGOs is not enough to contain this problem. A total of 648 women have been reported for commit suicide during the 83 days of lockdown in the Country (23 March-15 June 2020), partly linked with violence. Previous researches has shown that Gender Based Violence has long-term effects on women and girls such as fear, social stigma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and in the worst cases even thoughts of self-harm and suicide. All these psychological consequences can further deteriorate gender equality after the pandemic creating a setback to the Country's socio-economic potential and increasing an already large discrepancy between men and women within Nepali society.

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Giacomo d'Orlando

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