In recent weeks, reports of violence against women stemming from accusations of witchcraft have increased in Nepal. Vulnerable, unmarried women have been the victims of beatings and torture by neighbors and local community members.
Accusations of witchcraft and the resulting violence are usually targeted at socially and economically disadvantaged women without community or familial support. In spite of the efforts of human rights organizations, reports of violence stemming from accusations of witchcraft have been increasing. The Women’s Rehabilitation Centre in Nepal (WOREC) received more than 80 reported cases in the last two years.
Compiled from: NEPAL: Woe Unto Women Accused of Practicing Witchcraft (5 May 2011), WUNRN.