Women continue to suffer more violence from their dear ones at home, neighbourhood, school or friends. Ninety-nine percent of women are found to be either physically or psychologically abused by their husbands, neighbours, family members or friends in 139 cases of Violence Against Women (VAW) reported across the country that month.

A monthly report published by the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (Worec) Nepal for May/June shows that around 44 cases were reported about the women being subjected to mental torture at home and 41 cases about physical abuse, among others. 

Fifty percent of the victims were subjected to mental and physical tortures by their husbands, 26 percent of the women had fallen prey to their neighbours in 139 cases of Violence Against Women (VAW) reported across the country that month.

“Physical abuses can affect anyone psychologically. The ways they suffer are somewhat interrelated,” said Jaya Regmee, a psychiatrist. “When women suffer mental stress, the symptoms are headache and nausea. Sometimes the patients cannot describe what exactly their illness is about. They are distracted while they live with the real problem forever.” 

Meanwhile, the monthly report of April/May of Worec shows that 60 percent of women in the 90 cases reported that month had been victimised and tortured by their husbands. 

The reports of these two months have also shown that women from 17-24 age group were found to have suffered physical and mental violence in comparison to women of other ages. Around 120 million girls and women under 20 have been subjected to forced sexual intercourse by someone they have known at some point in their lives, according to Unicef. Twenty-nine percent of girls 20 go through such violence every year in Nepal. 

If women are brutally tortured, raped or subjected to severe agony they might suffer Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTST), a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event either by experiencing it or witnessing it, according to studies. 

According to Regmee, the symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, hallucinations, anxiety or uncontrollable thoughts.