From Recognition to Redress: Rethinking Reparations for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Nepal

ABSTRACT∞ This article critically examines the challenges and opportunities in providing reparations to victims of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) within Nepal’s transitional justice framework. Nearly two decades after the conclusion of the armed conflict, survivors, predominantly women, girls and members of marginalized communities, continue to face stigma, social exclusion and long-term trauma, with limited access to justice or meaningful redress. The 2024 amendment to Nepal’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act marks a significant step by formally recognizing reparation as a legal right. Yet, existing legal and institutional mechanisms remain underdeveloped, beset by normative ambiguities and gaps in implementation. Drawing on both international human rights standards and transitional justice scholarship, this article argues that current reparation policies insufficiently address the gendered, intersectional and structural dimensions of CRSV. It advocates for a comprehensive, survivor-centered approach to reparations, one that is multidimensional, inclusive, and anchored in truth-telling, accountability, and transformative social and institutional reforms.