Developing Policies and Mechanisms to Prevent Sexual Harassment in Nepali Higher Education Institutes

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/tyq1z340

Keywords:

higher education, patriarchy, sexual harassment, victim blaming

Abstract

Despite sexual harassment being rampant in higher education institutes (HEI) of Nepal, there are no sexual harassment prevention policies or mechanisms in universities. The Government of Nepal formulated the Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention) Act 2014., but it is insufficient in the context of universities. Moreover, due to the lack of policies and mechanisms in place, decisions regarding complaints against sexual harassment are made by those in charge, men in most cases, on an ad-hoc basis. This research paper is based on the literature review of the existing policies on sexual harassment prevention in HEI in Nepal. Based on the review, the paper also provides some strategies for recommendations and outlooks to prevent sexual harassment in higher education institutions in Nepal.

Author Biography

  • Swechhya Rajbhandary, King's College, Nepal

    SWECHHYA RAJBHANDARY, co-founded the Office of Safe and Respectable Learning (OSRL) department at King's College, Nepal, where she looks after the 'Education and Awareness' wing. She completed her Gender Equality Studies and Training Program (GRÓ GEST) postgraduate diploma from the University of Iceland. She is a Teach for Nepal alumna and Global Girl’s Education Fellowship alumna, Teach for All, USA (2020). Her interests primarily include youth empowerment, especially establishing, legitimizing, and safeguarding their voice. She strongly believes in advocating and taking action against systemic injustices, especially through the lens of gender, identity, and intersectionality.

References

Ali, S., & Khuwaja, M. Z. (2021). The forgotten pandemic of gender based violence in Pakistan and Nepal. Beyond the Pandemic: Leaving No One Behind, 30(1), 174-186.

Amnesty International. (2021, August 12). Nepal: Authorities must deliver justice for Dalit killings. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/05/nepal-authorities-must-deliver-justice-for-dalit-killings/

Bahing, K. (2021, September 3). The systemic silencing of stories of harassment. The Record. https://www.recordnepal.com/the-systemic-silencing-of-stories-of-harassment

Baral, A. (2023, April 4). Opinion | Where are women in academia? The Kathmandu Post | Read online latest news and articles from Nepal. https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2023/04/04/where-are-women-in-academia

Berryman‐Fink, C. (2001). Women's responses to sexual harassment at work: Organizational policy versus employee practice. Employment Relations Today, 27(4), 57-64. https://doi.org/10.1002/ert.17.abs

Bhetwal, S. (2023, March 12). Opinion | Missing Dalits in research institutions. The Kathmandu Post | Read online latest news and articles from Nepal. https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2023/03/12/missing-dalits-in-research-institutions

Bhul, K. (2021, July 24). 20-fold increase of rape cases in 25 years in Nepal. Nepal Press. https://english.nepalpress.com/2021/07/24/20-fold-increase-of-rape-cases-in-25-years-in-nepal/

Crenshaw, K. W. (1991). Intersectionality, identity politics and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241-1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

Dolamore, S., & Richards, T. N. (2020). Assessing the organizational culture of higher education institutions in an era of #MeToo. Public Administration Review, 80(6), 1133-1137. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13179

Gandhari, Y. (2021). Equity in higher education of Nepal. International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, 13(1), 40-47. http://www.academicjournals.org/IJEAPS

Government of Nepal Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, (2010). Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Government of Nepal Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare

Hegewisch, A., & O’Farrell, B. (2015). Women in the construction trades: Earnings, workplace discrimination, and the promise of green jobs. Institute for Women's Policy Research. https://iwpr.org/women-in-the-construction-trades-earnings-workplace-discrimination-and-the-promise-of-green-jobs/

IFRC. (2010). Project/programme planning Guidance manual. Global Disaster Preparedness Center. https://preparecenter.org/sites/default/files/ppp-guidance-manual-english.pdf

ILO. (2004). Sexual harassment at the workplace in Nepal. International Labour Organization. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@asia/@ro-bangkok/@ilo-kathmandu/documents/publication/wcms_113780.pdf

ILO. (2019). Brief on strengthening action against violence and harassment in the world of work in Nepal. International Labour Organization. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-kathmandu/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_740056.pdf

Magar, J. P. (n.d.). Manu Smriti, Muluki Ain and the rise of Bahuns. Indigenous Voice. https://english.indigenousvoice.com/news/manu-smriti-muluki-ain-and-the-rise-of-bahuns

Mansfield, B., Lave, R., McSweeney, K., Bonds, A., Cockburn, J., Domosh, M., Hamilton, T., Hawkins, R., Hessl, A., Munroe, D., Ojeda, D., & Radel, C. (2019). It's time to recognize how men's careers benefit from sexually harassing women in academia. Human Geography, 12(1), 82-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/194277861901200110

Nepal Law Commission. (2015.). Constitution of Nepal. Nepal Law Commission – Government of Nepal. https://bit.ly/3fplEu6

Nepal Law Commission. (2011). Caste-Based Discrimination and Untouchability (Offense and Punishment) Act 2068 (2011). Nepal Law Commission-Government of Nepal. https://bit.ly/3buxK44

Nepal Law Commission. (2017). Labor Act 2074 (2017). Nepal Law Commission-Government of Nepal. https://bit.ly/3yhmqSy

Nepal Law Commission. (2017). The National Penal (Code) Act 2017. Nepal Law Commission-Government of Nepal. https://bit.ly/3uVw3Vg

Nepal News. (2022). Harassment can have physical and emotional consequences. Nepalnews : Nepal's first online news portal | Nepalnews. https://nepalnews.com/s/issues/growing-sexual-harassment-in-educational-institutions

New Spolight Magazine. (2022, April 3). Nepal police registers 856 rape cases in the last seven months. SpotlightNepal. https://www.spotlightnepal.com/2022/04/03/nepal-police-registers-856-rape-cases-last-seven-months/

Office of Safe and Respectable Learning (OSRL). (2021). Diversity, Inclusion & Campus Environment Survey. OSRL, King’s College, Nepal

Rawal, R., Karki, T. (2022) Knowlege of Gender-Based Violence among College Students of Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepal Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (NJMR) Vol. 5, No.3, Special Issue 2022. Pages: 21-36 DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.3126/njmr.v5i1.44615

University Grants Commission (UGC). (2018/19). Education Management Information System: Report on Higher Education Institute, 2018/19. University Grant Commission. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16Im8Jqavn55YO4vM6aOkfhfE_XuSp2IF

University Grants Commission, Government of Nepal. (2012). Education Management Information System: Report on Higher Education 2010/11 Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Tripathi, S., & Azhar, S. (2021). ‘No one blames men in our society’: Indian police officers’ perceptions of female complainants. The British Journal of Criminology, 61(5), 1225-1242. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azab021

World Health Organization. (2016). Nepal: Gender and health. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/344677/GER-Nepal-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Downloads

Published

2025-03-22

How to Cite

Developing Policies and Mechanisms to Prevent Sexual Harassment in Nepali Higher Education Institutes . (2025). International Journal of Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Higher Education, 9(2), 68-87. https://doi.org/10.32674/tyq1z340