By Binju Sitaula

    KATHMANDU, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Sufferers of violence against women (VAW) in Nepal are more miserable, as most of them are victimized by their own family members and they feel harder to file case against these family members.

    Chankha Saud, a 26-year-old Nepali woman, lamented that "I was only 13 years old then, I was forced to marry." She does not have any children though she has been married for 13 years, and neither her husband loves her, she said.

    Chankha, a single daughter in her family, only studied up to Grade Three. Her family violated her child rights by forcing her into early childhood marriage.

    Marriage for Nepali girls below the age of 18 is considered illegal, but early childhood marriage is still common in remote villages of Nepal.

    Chankha's bad dreams began when she got married to Kalyan SinghSaud of Darchula district, some 525 km west of the Nepali capital Kathmandu.

    Her mother-in-law often beats her, Saud said, showing the wound marks in her body. Last time she was banged by axe, which made wounds all over her body. Her thighs still got cut wounds.

    Three months ago, Chankha ran away from in-law's house and came to seek asylum in "safe house" in Dhangadi district, some 470 km west of Nepali capital Kathmandu.

    Women's Rehabilitation Center (WOREC) Nepal, a non-governmental organization working in VAW, is protecting her in their Dhangadi-based "safe house".

    Chankha recently traveled all the way from far-west region to Kathmandu seeking justice. She, together with hundreds of Nepali women, gathered in Kathamandu to mark the 16-day campaign for elimination of VAW in Nepal, which started from Nov. 25 till Dec. 10.

    They are calling for proper law to impose against assailants, and complained that the policy and programs defined by the government as very progressive have failed to ensure women's fundamental rights.

    "VAW is spread out nationwide but only a small number of cases has been reported to the police," Dr. Renu Rajbhandari, president of WOREC Nepal told Xinhua on Thursday. The main reason is that survivors hesitate to register cases in police stations, and even if they do, they have no access to justice, she said.

    Though it has been established as their constitutional rights that 33 percent of women should be involved in all level of Nepal's government bodies, including the policy level, this system has not been implemented, she claimed.

    She said women are socially, economically and culturally kept aside and are subjected to various forms of physical, mental, social and sexual violence. "Women are not safe in their homes. They are subjected to various types violence by their husbands and family members," she added.

    More than 7,236 VAW cases have been reported in WOREC Nepal, among which 73 percent are victims of domestic violence, according to the WOREC Nepal's report.