'Invisible’ Violence, Visible Harms

Violence against Women in Politics in Nepal: The experience of locally elected representatives

Nepal’s 2017 local elections were a watershed moment for increasing women’s political participation and realising the government’s goal of localising democracy. However, the ability of these women to capitalise on their newfound political power is challenged by the prevalence of Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP). Globally, there has been an increase in VAWP in recent years

The UN Women Nepal Country Office undertook a national study to understand better the enabling and obstructive factors of women’s political participation as elected officials. This study examines the violence locally elected women representatives in Nepal face when holding public office at the local level. It focuses exclusively on women’s time in office and does not cover campaign or election periods. This is the first study on VAWP in Nepal. It is part of the UN Women’s global initiative to develop harmonised survey tools on VAWP.