Nepal, April 9 -- ''To ruin a woman's life, all it takes is assassinating her character.''

These were National Assembly Vice-President Leela Kumari Bhandari's first public statement upon assuming office. Calling for strict legal measures against cyberbullying, she warned that even lawmakers have had to walk into the police cyber bureau seeking justice as victims of abuse, and that unchecked harassment is silencing women from participating in public life.

''Attacks on women's character have escalated to such a level that, for society to remain civilised, it must be addressed through legal action,'' she said.

Her remarks come at a time when women who speak out in public are increasingly met not with debate, but with coordinated attacks....