Dr Buna Bhandari is working towards eliminating violence in Nepal
Dr Buna Bhandari is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Central Department of Public Health, Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine in Kathmandu, Nepal. She completed a PhD from the University of New South Wales’ School of Population Health in 2021 with the support of an Australia Awards Scholarship. Dr Bhandari is also a Lown Scholar in the Cardiovascular Health Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, United States.
Dr Bhandari is contributing to ending violence against women and girls through research, publication and advocacy. She was a part of an intervention study on domestic violence during pregnancy and trained pregnant women in safety behaviours to protect themselves during domestic violence.
Through Australia Awards, I have improved my capacity for research and advocacy on violence against women and girls, during my PhD and beyond. Australia Awards provided plenty of opportunities for networking with like-minded activists and exposed me to a gender-friendly learning environment in Australia. As a result, I am collaborating with two other Nepalese Australia Awards alumni at Apara Innovations to improve the capacity of women researchers through mentorship and other training programs. Furthermore, Australia Awards always provides a platform to advocate for initiatives against gender-based violence.
Dr Bhandari believes there should be a zero tolerance towards violence against women and girls in all settings, including home, community and workplace. In addition, every woman and girl should be well-supported for the prevention and elimination of violence against them throughout their lifespan.
Read more here about Dr Buna Bhandari’s and Australia Awards Alumni who are working towards eliminating violence against women in Nepal.
