Introduction
Discrimination against women in Nepal has been existent since time immemorial. The girl child is deprived of proper nutrition, healthcare and education, given lower social status in society. Unequal treatment and increased vulnerability make women hapless victims of HIV/AIDS. Nearly 35 percent of HIV-positive people in Nepal are women, according to National Centre for AIDS and STD Control, Nepal. Gender plays a key role in the HIV-related stigma, moral judgment, shame, and blame. A woman’s economic dependence also determines her access to support from the family once she is infected with HIV. The most disturbing matter is the fact that the women are blamed for their spouses’ infection, women living with HIV are stigmatised as being loose characters. The women are thrown out of their houses for being immoral and ultimately their children are also forced to face the stigma and discrimination along with their mothers. Ultimately, lack of family support, ridicule and stigmatising behaviour of the community, denial to financial independence and a means of livelihood are factors that give rise to internal stigma. Furthermore there is added stigma if a woman has been infected as a result of trafficking. HIV is not considered as a disease but it is considered to be the result of bad behavior and character. This also acts as an additional factor for further discrimination. The principle reason of establishment of Shakti Milan Samaj is to address the issue of stigma and discrimination against the women and children living with HIV and AIDS. Shakti Milan Samaj aims to contribute to create a supportive environment for those living with HIV and AIDS. We through this website are trying to empower women in Nepal with informed choices that enable them to have complete control on their lives. We are trying to promote Nepali women globally that she is no more helpless and today she is much informed and is raising her voice against violence against women and children.
There was a time when News Paper, Radio and Television were the only mediums that could be used for awareness generation or for a media campaign, but today people are looking for more and more shelf life of information, more and more methods of personalized information dissemination and freedom in using innovative ideas for gaining more and more public attention and trust. They are opting for such tools that enable them to directly communicate with the end user, take their opinion and acknowledge and personalize them time to time. That is using a medium for various purposes importantly for two way communications with the stakeholders, readers, users, and people with common cause and interests.
The 20’s is the era of Internet which provides the website owner all the opportunities and possibilities mentioned above. Even in the context of Nepal it can play role of a strategic tool for advocacy, information dissemination, research data base, awareness raising, public involvement through opinions and suggestion. It is one thing that has endless potential yet to exploit.
