| CARE Nepal implements the Participation
of Women Enabling their Real Representation (POWER) Project in three
remote Far Western districts of Nepal: Bajhang, Achham and Bajura.
Women’s socio-economic status in these areas is very low.
Among the 75 districts of Nepal, a women empowerment index ranks
Bajhang, Achham and Bajura as 2nd, 4th and 7th from the bottom respectively.
After the governemnt passed an ordinace
in 1997 that requires 20% of the elected seats at the Village
Developemnt Committee level to be allocated to women, the number
of women political representatives has increased but their real
participation in decision making remains insignificant for a number
of reasons. Most women representatives do not understand the concept
of repreentative governemtn and are not adequately prepared to
fulfill their responsibilities as elected members.
The project aims to help these women political
representatives develop an understanding of local government and
helps them to actively promote the rights and interest of women
and their communities. The project complements the ongoing efforts
of three multi-sectoral poverty reduction projects of CARE Nepal.
The ongoing activities of these projects such as non-formal education
classes, group management capacity strengthening and economic
development create a very supportive and conducive environment
for the efforts of the POWER project.
The project builds on learning and sharing approaches.
It uses the lessons learned by other similar organisation to provide
quality training and to plan better.
The goal
project is to increase the extent to which
the rights and interests of women in Bajura, Bahjang and Achham
districts are better understood and more fully acted upon by local
government. The primary strategy for achieving this goal is to
strengthen the capacity and increase the status of women political
representatives (WPRs) in 149 Village Development Committees (VDCs)
to be more active, effective and respected leaders.
Objectives:
2250 women political representatives in Bajura,
Bajhang and Achham more effectively participate as decision-makers
in the local political and development process
2250 women representatives in Bajura, Bajhang and Achham influence
local government to implement development activities that have
a positive impact on women's rights and socio-economic status.
Influence local and national government policies related to women's
development issues.
The project has
two major field-based expected outcomes:
that WPRs are more effective decision makers
(1.0), and that they influence local government development activities
to have a positive affect on women's rights and socio-economic
status (2.0). The six expected outputs that relate to these outcomes
are:
- WPRs' increased self-confidence, self-esteem
and leadership skills
- WPRs' increased understanding of their roles and responsibilities
- WPRs' increased capacity to communicate their ideas and concerns
in political forums
- Increased support for WPRs from male VDC/DDC members and spouses/guardians
- WPRs' increased knowledge to plan and implement development
programs
- VDC and ward-level plans that better reflect women's socio-economic
development |
