Violent assaults such as acid attacks, domestic violence, rape and murder are some of the burning issues throughout the world. Most of us have heard the saying “an eye for an eye” at least at one point in our lives, but we have never really given much thought to it. While considering the presence of conflict and crime in today’s world, this saying, in fact, invokes strong emotions.

Acid attacks are on the rise in many countries. Victims are attacked with acid with the ill intention of disfiguring, harming, torturing or even killing them. Blindness along with permanent scar-ring of the face and body also   occurs, causing long-term social and psychological trauma along with eco-nomic adversity.

In the context of Nepal, acid attacks have become a common and easy method of taking revenge. Among the victims, most are women. Acid is easily available in the market which makes it easy for felons to commit such crimes. Hence, keeping track of acid sales and strict rules on buying acid along with severe punishment to culprits would undoubtedly be an initial step towards curbing such crimes. Usually domestic disputes, unhappy love affairs and professional rivalries are the causes behind such violent acts. They show their anger and rage through them. One needs to understand that rejection does not mean you can scar a woman’s face. Likewise, rape is another heinous crime. Women get badly injured, some become pregnant and some get sexually transmitted dis-eases like HIV. With the increase in this crime, most women these days live in fear. It has really become risky for women to walk freely because you never know what’s going to happen. You never ever know when it’s going to happen. If you are raped, you are said to have invited it is a common complaint in a country like Nepal. In the culture where we live in, women are blamed and fin-gers are pointed at them. Women who are raped have nightmares and panic attacks, become cynical and have a devastating sense of distrust. On top of that, society puts the blame on them. The lives of women who are raped are forever changed. What agitates me is that in the society in which we live, women are continuously abused, harassed, exploited, kidnapped, raped, trafficked and murdered

We read about crimes and violence against women, and all we do is show some sympathy while reading the news flip the pages of the newspaper and forget it in the next few minutes. There are many issues regarding the way we treat our women. People need to be prudent. Inequality, social cohesion and violence have been common in our society. It is high time for us youth to actively take part in eradicating the ongoing crimes by their roots. It is necessary to address the underlying causes of crime and violence.