A candle lighting program was held at Ratnapark, Kathmandu on 19 June 2025, demanding justice and accountability for victims of sexual violence during conflict. The event was organized jointly by the Gender and Transitional Justice Network and the Campaign for Gender Justice on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
At the candle lighting program, participants noted that victims of sexual violence during the conflict still await justice. They also urged the government to implement a victim-friendly transitional justice process. During the conflict, not only women but also individuals from LGBTIQ communities were also subjected to sexual violence. However, their suffering has yet to be formally acknowledged by the government, further compounding their distress. This concern was raised on behalf of the LGBTIQ community.
A representative from the Gender and Transitional Justice Network emphasized that treating sexual violence as a normal outcome of conflict must end, asserting that victims have the fundamental right to justice. Similarly, the Campaign for Gender Justice expressed that the prolonged transitional justice process and its failure to include victims could undermine the country’s democratic progress.
