VAW cases high in entertainment sector: Maiti Nepal Chair Koirala

Kathmandu, March 6: Chairperson of Maiti Nepal, Anuradha Koirala, has said the women in the entertainment sector were facing rising cases of violence.

Addressing a concluding session of the ‘Women Film Festival’ organized in the federal capital on Thursday, Chairperson Koirala said most of the women working in the entertainment sector like pubs, lounges, dance bars and dance clubs in Kathmandu were girls under 20 years.

“Such dance bars and pubs open rife in the city are recruiting young girls and meting out violence. I’ve heard that these girls are even suffering from substance abuse. We need to pay heed to this,” she underlined. Koirala expressed worry that though her organization discussed a lot with concerned bodies, including Kathmandu Metropolis, no positive result was seen.

So, violence against women and public awareness count much in films. On the occasion, the Chairperson of the Film Development Board, Dinesh DC, informed that the Board organized the ‘Women Film Festival’ realizing the need to mainstream women’s voice, thereby creating an atmosphere for women’s empowerment.

The festival has a tremendous role in bringing to light women’s issues and problems and seeking cooperative efforts to address problems, he said, expecting that films would create a positive effect to this end. Women actors, artists and directors were awarded on the occasion. —RSS