Online attacks targeting minister’s wife highlight deep-seated misogyny

From Susmita Adhikari to Hisila Yami and Arzu Rana Deuba, women have often found themselves caught in political crossfire, say experts.

On the night of August 5, at 9:16 pm, an online content platform named ‘Interviews Nepal’ posted an image on Facebook featuring Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel alongside his wife Susmita Adhikari. The post was shared during an acute cooking gas shortage across the country. It carried a fictional dialogue intended to mock the government’s failure: ‘Sasmit: What does a gas tree look like?’