Pornography in Nepal: In this article, Nepal has long been recognized for its progressive constitution, which ensures equal rights and representation for women, ethnic minorities and sexual and gender minorities. Nepal was widely seen as an example of democratic transition when they successfully ended a decade-long civil war and abolished monarchy in 2008.
Yet despite this liberal image, they also enforced a ban on online pornography claiming this measure will prevent sexual violence while safeguarding social values – this article examines its contradictions and implications as well as how this impacts rights and freedoms of citizens living within this nation state.
The Porn Ban and Its Rationale | Pornography in Nepal
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Nepal’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology announced the porn ban in September 2018, following several high-profile rape cases that caused public outrage and protests. Citing Article 121 of Nepal’s Criminal Code 2074 which prohibits production, distribution and consumption of sexually explicit materials; they stated this measure would protect society values while simultaneously decreasing access to such materials, thus discouraging sexual violence as well as harmful practices.
Nepal was one of the only countries worldwide with a complete ban on online pornography when the National Testing Agency (NTA) followed through on an order and closed over 21,000 websites within one month, making Nepal one of a rare few countries worldwide to have this measure in place.
Support for such policies came from religious groups, women’s rights activists and political leaders, all who believed that porn was morally and socially harmful, degrading women and corrupting youth alike.
The Problems and Criticisms of the Porn Ban
Porn bans have faced several criticisms and challenges from various groups, including internet freedom advocates, human rights defenders and sex workers. Some of the major criticisms include:
- The porn ban is ineffective and unenforceable. Although the government attempts to block porn websites, many internet users have found ways to bypass this ban by using virtual private networks (VPNs), proxy servers or alternative platforms – such as virtual private networks (VPNs), proxy servers or alternative platforms. In addition, it fails to address root causes of sexual violence such as patriarchal norms, gender inequality and lack of education/awareness about sexual violence – it also does not address it directly as no conclusive evidence shows this leads directly or leads directly to crimes; studies suggest otherwise.
- Nepal’s ban on porn is an infringement on individual freedom of expression and information. It violates their constitutional right to express or access information of their choice without endangering sovereignty, integrity, or security of the country; furthermore it breaches international human rights standards that Nepal has accepted such as Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which protect their right to seek, receive, and share ideas freely with each other.
- A porn ban is a form of moral policing and censorship, using legislation or constitution-driven restrictions on public expression of obscenity, morality, or decency that aren’t clearly defined. Additionally, such restrictions reflect conservative and patriarchal views held by dominant groups in society which seek to control women and sexual and gender minorities through sexual control measures; it disregards individual preferences for expression as well as potential benefits of porn for health or pleasure purposes.
- The porn ban poses a significant threat to sex workers’ safety and livelihood. Criminalizing the production and distribution of porn provides many marginalized sex workers with sources of income and empowerment that would otherwise go untapped, as well as increasing risks such as violence, harassment and extortion by authorities or clients seeking riskier or illegal services; furthermore it denies them dignity, privacy, consent as well as fighting stigmatization and discrimination they might otherwise encounter.Stay tuned to CHOPNEWS for the latest scoops and updates of Business News, Sports News, Technology News, World News and Entertainment News.
