JHAPA: The Mechinagar Municipality in Jhapa district has run a campaign against gender-based violence (GBV) in 10 schools in the municipality.

Students from grades 9 to 12 are attending the event which is primarily focused on ending gender-based violence. The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens and the World Bank have supported the intervention.

Chief of Women and Children Section of Mechinagar Municipality Jayanti Kharel said the programme was started at Jyamirgadhi Secondary School and will be run in the remaining schools in the municipality.

Expert of the Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Project Kamala Upreti said that the municipality was selected for the intervention, as the Mechinagar Municipality has recorded the highest number of GBV cases in the province.

The schoolchildren will be made aware about the gender-based violence, and will be trained on ways to counter, raise voice and file complaints in case of gender-based violence, officials said.

The students have been shared ideas on the ‘bad touch’ and ‘good touch’, and also the role of teachers and schools to prevent the possibilities of GBV.