Kathmandu, April 3 -- Every ten minutes, a woman somewhere in Nepal dials 1145, the helpline operated by the National Women Commission, seeking assistance. Majority of these calls are made by survivors of domestic violence who are either looking to report incidents of abuse or calling to inquire about the support services offered by the group.

Since its launch in December 2017, the 24-hour toll-free helpline supported by the World Bank has received over 70,000 calls. In January alone, more than 5,000 people called the helpline.

"Through word of mouth and advertising, more people have become aware of the helpline and the huge jump in the number of complaints we have registered is proof of that," said Palita Thapa, the commission's progra...