The number of women who became victims of violence generally varies from region to region. Africa bears the greatest number of victims in absolute terms with the figure 2.9 victims per 100,000 populations, while Americas and Oceania also counted a pretty high number. In Asia and Europe, however, figures dwindle significantly. These differences represent rather complex interrelated and problematic cultural, economic, and social factors that influence violence.

Nepal’s Struggles
In Nepal, a woman can expect one in four to experience gender-based violence (GBV) in her lifetime. WOREC was an agency that found out that 179 victims faced violence in the period of 2021-2022, which included rape and trafficking. Still, there are more unreported cases because of the stigma concerned, knowing little about the law, and having no proper legal protection.

Challenges and Progress
Nepal has made a marked progress in putting forward actions against VAW through awareness, legal changes, empowering women, etc. However, gender-based inequalities, the rigid roles attached to them, and the economic dependence still fuel violence. Society still expects such women to be dependent financially on their spouses, disallowing them from leaving even when they are being abused.

The Need for Change
Women are now becoming more empowered and independent to start making decisions about their lives, but this independence can trigger friction while society is adapting to this change in dynamics. Education and awareness about gender equality are techniques to break stereotypes so as to empower