Safe Communities - Free From Violence Against Women and Girls

Sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence in public spheres are an everyday occurrence for women and girls around the world – in urban and rural areas, in developed and developing countries. In Nepal, the issue of safety of women in public places has not been examined or addressed as a serious issue. In other parts of the world, women's safety has been addressed as an issues of women’s rights and empowerment. The women's safety audit (WSA) has been one important tool to understand the nature and causes of lack of safety in public places. Building on the learning from around the world, DidiBahini, in partnership with UN Women has carried out the WSA in six districts in Nepal to assess the state of women’s safety in public places in the villages. The range and depth of information and data gathered from the WSA provides empirical evidence on women’s safety issues in rural areas of Nepal. Many members of the community defined safety as freedom from various forms of violence.

The publication was developed with the support of UN Women Nepal.