The UK government has announced financial support of 800 million rupees in tackling gender based violence in Nepal over the next three years. The support to be provided by Department of International Development (DFID) is expected to help UNICEF expand Para-Legal Committees (PLC) nationwide from the current 23 districts to cover all 75 districts reaching out to 8.5 million people residing in 1300 villages.<br/><br/>The PLCs are a community based mechanism to protect women, children and socially excluded groups from violence, abuse, exploitation and discrimination. The head of the DFID Nepal Sarah Sanyahumbi said that the PLC will be an excellent vehicle not only to address gender-based violence but in empowering women in their own communities and improving access to services and information.<br/>