facedsexual harassment and abuse in her school and is now a presenter
at Pokhara's Radio Taranga's program.
When Gauridevi Sharma was 14, a close friend confided that her father
had raped her. Another friend then told her that a classmate was
makingunwanted physical advances.
Sexual abuse by close relatives and friends is common among teenage
girls in Nepal, child welfare activists say, but it is shrouded in
secrecy because of taboos. Victimised girls often keep their ordeals
to themselves, and families almost never go to the police.
Sharma was so moved by what she heard in school, she led a group
called Team Organising Local Institute (TOLI) in her former secondary
school which used peer counselling to help mainly female victims of
abuse.
"In Nepal, girls and boys are not equal," Sharma explains, "girls
don't even want to seek help from counselors after something has
happened because they think their families will find out."
To reach out to a larger public, TOLI started working two years ago
with a Pokhara radio station, Radio Taranga, to address sexual
harassment and abuse problems in Nepal with a program called 'Manko
Awaj' (My Mind's Voice). It aims to raise awareness of sexual abuse
among young women between 14-18 in their schools, neighbourhoods and
homes.
Radio Taranga's Himnidhi Laudari says students from this age group
have been found to be "very prone to sexual harassment". Over the past
two years, more than 100 students from 58 secondary schools in Kaski
and Tanahun district, including boys and girls, have been interviewed
to share their views and experiences. In addition, parents, teachers
and child welfare activists are also invited to the studio to discuss
how talking about the problem openly may help curb abuse.
Manko Awaj with Himnidhi Laudari and Ravina Ale. In the very first
episode of Manko Awaj, Sharma shared her experience ofhow male
teachers often put their hands on the shoulders of girl students, or
made other advances. "The girls actually feel uneasy about it, yet
they are scared to tell the teachers because they fear punishment,and
some are really punished," Sharma said.
The former coordinator of TOLI's 'Safe Environment for Girls' program,
Dudh Kashi Gurung, has been handling up to 30 child sexual abuse cases
each year since 2009.
"Nepal is a patriarchal society, some teachers sexually harass their
students," she explained, "but it is very difficult for the victims to
talk about it." Gurung noticed that in cases of rape, parents did not
even lodge a complaint with the police. "They are afraid word will get
out, society will stigmatise their daughters, and it would be
difficult to marry them off," she added.
The lack of awareness about sexual matters among young adults
complicates this problem further. "It is seen as acceptable for boys
to tease girls," Laudari says, "and the only way that can be changed
is by spreading the message that it is not normal, and it is an
offence."
Manko Awaj is a radio package that includes drama, songs, and poems
written by students and has a lively format that makes it popular
among young listeners. The show also informs girls where they can seek
help and support.
Manko Aawaj reaches out to about one million listeners in Kaski, parts
of Tanahun, Parbat and Syanjga districts on evening prime time and is
also available online. Laudari would like the program to be syndicated
throughout Nepal, but even the funding for the existing programs is
running out by the end of this year.
Sharma says she is now more confident in speaking up for girls'
rights, and in giving advice over the radio. Listeners call in to seek
help, like a girl who was nearly raped by a hotel waiter. Sharma
immediately called the TOLI hotline, the police arrested the man who
was found guilty. Police say the number of reported cases of sexual
harassment and abusehas doubled since Manko Awaj started broadcasting
in 2009.
Sharma also senses a change in the attitude of male teachers towards
female students: "They are more sensitive now, and girls are more
confident about speaking up for themselves."
Radio Taranga is on 107.6 in Pokhara.
'Manko Aawaj' is broadcast every Saturday 7.30-8pm and can be heard
online at: www.radiotaranga.com
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