Nepal has once again failed a girl child who should have been protected. The horrific sexual exploitation and killing of a three-year-old girl from Bara has sent shockwaves across the country. The girl, who went missing on August 16, was found lifeless two days later in an abandoned house near her home, following a delayed official search. Protests spread across the country, with the public demanding a fair investigation, the arrest of those responsible and the maximum punishment allowed by the law. In response, the government has promised to meet the family’s demand and to review existing legal provisions concerning serious crimes.

Sadly, this case is just one of many that the country has witnessed over the years. Just as the public mourns one incident and calls for justice and governments promise that such cases will never recur, another heart-wrenching case surfaces within days. Recently, a 16-year-old boy was arrested in Palpa for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl.

Nepali society, fundamentally patriarchal, treats women as second-class citizens, giving men the freedom to treat women’s dignity and autonomy as negotiable. No wonder the number of cases of domestic violence, including marital rape, is so high in the country. According to data from Nepal Police, in 2022 alone, the country reported more than 2,300 cases of marital rape. Young boys who grow up in environments where women are stripped of their dignity tend to think that it is acceptable to coerce young girls. Society often protects men and boys, excusing inappropriate behaviour—even harassment—as youthful or childhood indiscretion.

Nepal does have laws that criminalise rape and sexual violence; they are strong on paper, but it is one thing to have strong laws and quite another to follow through. The way police handle reports of missing individuals, dismiss survivor testimony, delay filing FIRs and investigations in rape cases, involve themselves in settling cases of sexual violence, and mishandle and destroy evidence is only emboldening perpetrators. Their conduct in Nirmala Panta’s case, including the handling of suspects and evidence, was heavily criticised. Even in the recent case, questions have been raised about police response. Women’s rights activists are questioning why the police didn’t consider a missing girl child a matter of urgency—and rightly so.

Just as the government summoned the victim’s family to Kathmandu and promised legal reforms—including the pledge to fulfil their demands—it must introduce survivor/victim-friendly policies, implement the existing laws, ensure that perpetrators face punishment in accordance with the law, confront the culture of impunity and hold the police department accountable.

But these actions alone will fall short if people don’t change their attitudes towards women. The government should therefore also challenge the systems that permit social ills such as rape to persist. It is important to dismantle deep-seated double standards that police women while excusing men of their wrongdoings through curricula that teach gender sensitivity, mutual respect, as well as comprehensive consent education early on. Still, textbooks will lose their persuasive power if families don’t normalise mutual respect and gender equality. Community leaders and women’s groups can be mobilised to encourage women-friendly households, environments and societies. The names of Nirmala Panta, Bhagirathi Bhatta, Rinku Kumari Sada, Inisha BK, and many other young women are etched in the memories of Nepalis. We cannot afford to add another name to the list.