Kathmandu, November 30, 2017: Australia’s Ambassador to Nepal HE Peter Budd launched three mural paintings under the theme ‘Oranging the History: Remembering the Brave and the Forgottens’ to mark 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence.
The three murals Leading for the Future Queen Bees ; Neglected and Naming their Individuality on the walls at the Australian Embassy, Bansbari, Hotel Himalaya, Kupondole, and at Dhumbarahi respectively.
The murals were painted in collaboration with Ujyalo Foundation to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence-2017. They reveal untold stories of the heroes who fought for the rights of women and LGBTIs. The Asian Paints Nepal supported with the paints. Each mural has a plaque with it to explain its meaning and significance.
Launching the murals, Ambassador Budd said:
Gender based violence is a gross violation of human rights that has a devastating impact on victims, communities, and societies. It is unacceptable in all its forms, and it is to our collective shame that no country is free from it.
Eliminating violence against women and girls everywhere is a priority for the Australian Government, delivered through our foreign policy, economic diplomacy and aid programs and founded on our strong support for dialogue, reform and advocacy on gender equality. We partner with the private sector to increase women’s economic empowerment, we engage in political systems to promote women in leadership, we support local champions and service providers seeking to end violence against women, and we defend and embrace language on gender equality and women’s rights in international fora.
The Sustainable Development Goals recognize the elimination of violence against women is fundamental to our future prosperity. SD Goal 5 targets all forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking, and sexual and other types of exploitation.
It requires co-ordinated, multi-sectoral approaches which have women’s safety at their core to drive attitudinal changes within every community.
On the occasion, Ms. Amuda Mishra the Founder and Executive Director of Ujyalo Foundation said:
These murals on public domain are a way to express ourselves and encourage others to speak against violence. In many countries, where right to freedom of speech is constrained, murals and graffitti has been a medium for expression, and to take on social and political movements.
We are hopeful that through these murals we will be able to unlock spaces for dialougues and conversations against gender based violence, even after the 16 days of activism.
The Embassy has supported Ujyalo Foundation to design and operate NiDARR, a smartphone application tool designed to provide individuals a secure and private platform to stay connected to their contact circle, report gender based violence, and maximize their safety to prevent violence.
NiDARR app can be downloaded from Google Playstore here.
Here are some glimpses from the launch ceremony of mural paintings:
