Flash mob in Nepal highlights sexual misconduct
Nov 08, 2020
Kathmandu [Nepal], November 8 : Draped in black robes with placards in their hands that read the slogan, "you are a rapist" along with playing the traditional Newari musical instrument, activists in Nepal staged a flash mob against sexual misconduct on Saturday here.
The participants of the flash mob chanted slogans and displayed placards in a bid to pressurize the government to introduce stricter laws and bring the culprits of various rape incidents to justice at the earliest.
Youth activists from various backgrounds held a protest at the Maitighar Mandala in order to drag the attention of authorities towards the rising cases of rape and sexual misconduct experienced by the various groups of people.
Bibek Sushil Magar, an LGBTQ activist participated in a flash mob to draw the attention of people about problems faced by sexually marginalized groups. Magar claimed that the constitution of the Himalayan Nation also has failed to address sidelined groups and is "largely vague".
"Actually, when we go through the constitution and the definition of rape, there only is talk about women and their organs. When we come to society and talk about men and intersexuality that exists in between them, those groups are facing misconduct and rape from their male colleagues, conversations around it are yet to start," Magar told ANI.
"A discourse is yet to set off and it's being suppressed in the society as well as by the society. State mechanism is also suppressing those kinds of talks and today I came here to express and raise voice about sexual misconducts being staged over males as well as the LGBTQ community. I basically want to drag the attention of society about the sexual misconduct and incidents of rape faced by those groups," the activist added.
Several rounds of protests have been staged in the capital and other parts of the country as rape cases have been occurring and the victims and their families are deprived of justice.
One of the notorious rape incidents that took place on September 23 earlier this year, fueled protests against the crime across the country. Twelve-year-old Samjhana BK of Mashta Rural Municipality-2, a remote village in Bajhang, was murdered after rape in the incident.
