- Email: [email protected]
Domestic violence against women in Nepal
Panos Pictures
Correspondence
The printed journal includes an image merely for illustration
affected by genetic disorders. Very few deaf couples would wish to select actively for deafness and, if or when this occurred, professionals would have the right not to provide such services. Introducing the law will disturb the delicate balance between respect for reproductive freedom on the one hand and respect for all people, whatever their abilities or capacities, on the other. As a result of campaigning by the deaf community, the government has now decided to remove references to deafness in the explanatory notes of the Bill, but is refusing to remove clause 13(9–11) itself. Because it is a well-organised community, the deaf community has been able to achieve a small gain for itself, but other groups of disabled people with genetic conditions will still have their reproductive decision making unnecessarily interfered with. Damage has already been done to the trust between the deaf community and genetics professionals. There is likely to be a broader and more subtle undermining of trust in genetics professionals in the coming years. Clause 13(9–11) has been introduced without sufficient consideration or consultation, and shows a lack of sensitivity to the issues with which it deals. It is entirely unnecessary to use the law in this way, and we urge that this Clause be withdrawn immediately. We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
Richard Nicholson, *David King [email protected] Bulletin of Medical Ethics, Rose Cottage, Aberdeen House, 22–24 Highbury Grove, London N5 2EA, UK (RN); and Human Genetics Alert, 22B St Kilda’s Road, London N16 5BZ, UK (DK)
amend discriminatory laws, and provide shelters and policewomen’s desks for victims, domestic violence continues to grow. Thus, social factors need to address improving women’s status, according to the report. However, improving women’s status alone might not reduce violence without also addressing men. The problem of men as perpetrators of violence will remain unresolved if the focus stays on women-centred interventions.2 If we are to reduce violence against women, we need to concern ourselves with male offenders in a country where men consider wife-beating their right.3 Overall, 21% of Nepalese men accept that a husband “is justified in beating his wife”.3 Similarly, men consider that a husband has the right to “get angry and reprimand his wife” (13%), “refuse financial support” (8%), “use force to have sexual intercourse” (5%), and “have sexual intercourse with another woman” (3%) if his wife refuses to have sex. Besides, men hold key decision-making roles for women’s health3 and are crucial in bringing about changes in women’s status. Thus, without working with men, change will be difficult in Nepal. The 1994 Cairo Conference also highlighted the need to involve men in initiatives seeking to improve women’s health.4 Moreover, the experience of developing countries suggests that male participation in reproductive health projects decreases domestic violence.5 Nepal should include such a strategy to reduce domestic violence. We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
Domestic violence against women in Nepal Your World Report (Feb 16, p 547)1 states that Nepalese women generally have low socioeconomic status, making them vulnerable to domestic violence. Despite efforts to increase women’s awareness of their rights, 1664
*Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Krishna C Poudel, Junko Yasuoka, Takashi Eto, Masamine Jimba [email protected] Department of International Community Health, Graduate School of Medicine (KPT, KCP, JY, MJ) and Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education (KPT, TE), University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
1
2
3
4
5
Dhakal S. Nepalese women under the shadow of domestic violence. Lancet 2008; 371: 547–48. Gelles RJ. Public policy for violence against women: 30 years of successes and remaining challenges. Am J Preventive Med 2000; 19: 298–301. Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), New Era, Macro International. Nepal demographic and health survey 2006. Kathmandu: Ministry of Health and Population, New ERA, Macro International, 2007. UNFPA. A new role for men: partners for women’s empowerment. New York: United Nations Population Fund, 1997. Schuler SR. Gender and community participation in reproductive health projects: contrasting models from Peru and Ghana. Reprod Health Matters 1999; 7: 144–57.
Department of Error Contant CME, Hop WCJ, van ‘t Sant HP, et al. Mechanical bowel preparation for elective colorectal surgery: a multicentre randomised trial. Lancet 2007; 370: 2112–17—In this Article (Dec 22/29), the “Role of the funding source” section was omitted. It should have read “There was no funding source or sponsor. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.” The “Contributors” section was also omitted, and should have stated that “All authors participated in the data analysis and reporting stage of this manuscript, and had seen and approved the final version.” The “Conflict of interest statement” should have read “We declare that we have no conflict of interest.”
www.thelancet.com Vol 371 May 17, 2008
Correspondence
The printed journal includes an image merely for illustration
affected by genetic disorders. Very few deaf couples would wish to select actively for deafness and, if or when this occurred, professionals would have the right not to provide such services. Introducing the law will disturb the delicate balance between respect for reproductive freedom on the one hand and respect for all people, whatever their abilities or capacities, on the other. As a result of campaigning by the deaf community, the government has now decided to remove references to deafness in the explanatory notes of the Bill, but is refusing to remove clause 13(9–11) itself. Because it is a well-organised community, the deaf community has been able to achieve a small gain for itself, but other groups of disabled people with genetic conditions will still have their reproductive decision making unnecessarily interfered with. Damage has already been done to the trust between the deaf community and genetics professionals. There is likely to be a broader and more subtle undermining of trust in genetics professionals in the coming years. Clause 13(9–11) has been introduced without sufficient consideration or consultation, and shows a lack of sensitivity to the issues with which it deals. It is entirely unnecessary to use the law in this way, and we urge that this Clause be withdrawn immediately. We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
Richard Nicholson, *David King [email protected] Bulletin of Medical Ethics, Rose Cottage, Aberdeen House, 22–24 Highbury Grove, London N5 2EA, UK (RN); and Human Genetics Alert, 22B St Kilda’s Road, London N16 5BZ, UK (DK)
amend discriminatory laws, and provide shelters and policewomen’s desks for victims, domestic violence continues to grow. Thus, social factors need to address improving women’s status, according to the report. However, improving women’s status alone might not reduce violence without also addressing men. The problem of men as perpetrators of violence will remain unresolved if the focus stays on women-centred interventions.2 If we are to reduce violence against women, we need to concern ourselves with male offenders in a country where men consider wife-beating their right.3 Overall, 21% of Nepalese men accept that a husband “is justified in beating his wife”.3 Similarly, men consider that a husband has the right to “get angry and reprimand his wife” (13%), “refuse financial support” (8%), “use force to have sexual intercourse” (5%), and “have sexual intercourse with another woman” (3%) if his wife refuses to have sex. Besides, men hold key decision-making roles for women’s health3 and are crucial in bringing about changes in women’s status. Thus, without working with men, change will be difficult in Nepal. The 1994 Cairo Conference also highlighted the need to involve men in initiatives seeking to improve women’s health.4 Moreover, the experience of developing countries suggests that male participation in reproductive health projects decreases domestic violence.5 Nepal should include such a strategy to reduce domestic violence. We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
Domestic violence against women in Nepal Your World Report (Feb 16, p 547)1 states that Nepalese women generally have low socioeconomic status, making them vulnerable to domestic violence. Despite efforts to increase women’s awareness of their rights, 1664
*Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Krishna C Poudel, Junko Yasuoka, Takashi Eto, Masamine Jimba [email protected] Department of International Community Health, Graduate School of Medicine (KPT, KCP, JY, MJ) and Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education (KPT, TE), University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
1
2
3
4
5
Dhakal S. Nepalese women under the shadow of domestic violence. Lancet 2008; 371: 547–48. Gelles RJ. Public policy for violence against women: 30 years of successes and remaining challenges. Am J Preventive Med 2000; 19: 298–301. Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), New Era, Macro International. Nepal demographic and health survey 2006. Kathmandu: Ministry of Health and Population, New ERA, Macro International, 2007. UNFPA. A new role for men: partners for women’s empowerment. New York: United Nations Population Fund, 1997. Schuler SR. Gender and community participation in reproductive health projects: contrasting models from Peru and Ghana. Reprod Health Matters 1999; 7: 144–57.
Department of Error Contant CME, Hop WCJ, van ‘t Sant HP, et al. Mechanical bowel preparation for elective colorectal surgery: a multicentre randomised trial. Lancet 2007; 370: 2112–17—In this Article (Dec 22/29), the “Role of the funding source” section was omitted. It should have read “There was no funding source or sponsor. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.” The “Contributors” section was also omitted, and should have stated that “All authors participated in the data analysis and reporting stage of this manuscript, and had seen and approved the final version.” The “Conflict of interest statement” should have read “We declare that we have no conflict of interest.”
www.thelancet.com Vol 371 May 17, 2008