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Gender Thematic RETAs
Gender and Governance Issues in Local Government, 2001
Recent introduction of the reservation quotas for women in the
three selected countries (Bangladesh- 30% of Union Parishad seats;
Nepal- 20% representation in the VDC; and Pakistan- 1/3 of the total
seats) provided an increase in the representation of women in local
elected positions. In Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, local level
government is responsible for planning and implementing development
projects and for resolving local level disputes through locally
constituted arbitration committees. As the participation of women
in the local bodies is a recent initiative, little has been done
to build their capacity to perform their responsibility more effectively.
The primary objective of the RETA
is to build capacity of grassroots level women leaders in local
governments and to promote more efficient and transparent public
service delivery. Th TA also aims to promote and facilitate the
linkages between gender, poverty reduction, and good governance
in local government, and to identify regional gender and governance
issues in the context of local government for policy makers.
The major components of the RETA include
- Policy and Operational Support which will review of the
Local Government Act, structure and operational mechanism for
the lowest tier (Union Parishad/Union Council/VCD); identification
of gaps between the Act and its implementation within the context
of the current roles and functions of female representatives;
recommendations for modification of the policy to support the
role and responsibilities allocated to female representatives;
development and preparation of relevant operational manuals, guidelines
and terms of reference on the roles and responsibilities of elected
female representatives in the local bodies.
- Support Network and Linkage with National Governance
component which will facilitate development of a forum of elected
female representative at the local level to serve as advocacy/lobby
groups; development of operational framework for interface between
the forum and the national level elected women leaders; and establishing
linkages between elected women's forum and the sectoral agencies
implementing local level development programs.
- Capacity Building of Female Representatives focuses on
capacity building training of the elected/selected female representatives
in the local administrative bodies on a pilot basis in four selected
districts in the 3 DMCs . Training will be provided on
- clarification of their term of reference
- familiarization with the Local Government Act and other
regulations
- planning of community development
- dispute resolution
- Regional
Study and Workshop component include the preparation of
a regional overview study on gender and governance and the conduct
of a Regional Workshop.
Bangladesh
Activities Completed
- Field activities under the TA have already been implemented in 17 upazila
(135 union parshads), two municipalities and one city corporation of the 4
districts.
- In the upazila level 17 forums have been established. The membership of
the forums include women elected members of union parishads, municipalities
and City Corporation, upazila officer, women development officer in the upazila,
local government officer and representatives of the sectoral agencies. The
objective of upazila forum is to provide opportunity for the representatives
of the union parishad and municipalities with access to systematic information
about the poverty alleviation projects, sectoral projects and social services
in the entire upazila. Since August 2002, 23 upazila forum meetings have been
conducted.
- Ward level forum have been established in 135 union parishads. The ward
level forum includes elected women representatives from the respective wards,
grassroots women leaders, and village level extension workers. The ward level
forum is aimed at strengthening the network among grassroots women leaders
and elected women representatives of the local government. Since August, 2002,
50 ward levels forum meetings have been conducted. The ward level forum has
introduced a new approach of communication between the community and the elected
women representatives of the local government. The word level forum will facilitate
cooperation among the representatives of local government, extension workers
and the community and better targeting of poor women and children for social
services and poverty alleviation program. This is aimed at enhancing accountability
of the local government and promoting good governance.
- Capacity building training program has commenced for 459 women elected representatives
of the of local government (Union Parishad, municipalities and city corporation),
149 male chairs of UP, and more than 1000 male members of UP. The training
program for women elected representatives include the following:
- Role, function, and budget of UP,
- Role of women members in UP,
- Good governance and poverty alleviation programs;
- Communication and leadership;
- Identification of local resources and development programs;
- UP budget planning and negotiation skills,
- Family law, kashland law, children and female related law,
- Gender sensitization etc.
The training of male chair of UP will include capacity building training as
well as gender gensitization training. The training of male representatives
would include UP functions and role. The training program will be completed
by June 2003.
- Union level Resource Profile: An inventory of resource base in the union
and ward level will be completed by April 2003. The list of inventory will
help women representatives to negotiate resources for development activities
both from government and non-government sources for their respective ward.
- An operation manual for Union Parishad in Bengali language is prepared under
the RETA. The operational manual would increase effective functioning of UP
and promote transparency.
Activities Planned:
- Union level Workshop: To increase participation of women elected representatives in development program in the UP level planning workshop will be conducted together with the upazila officer, local government officer, line agencies' representatives, male and female representatives. Approximately 3700 participants from the UP, upazila level will attend the union level workshops in 135 unions. The planning workshop in the UP level would provide opportunity for women to be involved in planning and implementation process for sectoral projects, and poverty alleviation projects.
- To develop broader alliance among female representatives of the local government and to share the framework of forum experience, the Project NGOs will network with the NGOs working on governance in other Districts.
Nepal
Activities Completed
- The TA activities have been implemented in 32 Village Development Councils (VDCs) in 4 Districts in Nepal. More than 700 women representatives and grassroots women leaders will be provided with capacity building training in local governance issues and gender issues. Training program is completed in 17 VDCs. A total of 250 women representatives, women leaders and 85 male representatives and leaders have been trained. The training includes:
- Role and function of VDC
- VDC budget process,
- Needs analysis,
- Project planning,
- Orientation on development programs at the VDC level,
- Women's legal rights and gender sensitization.
- To develop broader alliance among the elected women representatives and the grassroots women leaders from the community based organizations (CBOs), 31 forums have been established in the VDC level. The women leaders in the VDC forum represent different caste and ethnic background. Most forums include at least two representatives from "Dalit" (low -caste).
- An operational manual for VDC is prepared in Nepalese language. The manual would help the women representatives to perform their role effectively in the VDC.
- The Local Self-Development Act is reviewed within gender perspective and a draft is prepared.
Pakistan
Activities Completed
- Profile of women councilors and Baseline survey has been completed.
- More than 400 hundred women from 68 Union Councils are receiving training In the following areas
- Local government structure, functions, budget;;
- Role and responsibilities of the elected representatives;
- Communication skills;
- Gender sensitization;
- Project planning and proposal writing;
- Role and functions of community based organizations (CBOs).
The training will be completed in July 2003.
- 15 forums in the Union Council level have been formed with elected women representatives and women leaders from the CBOs.
- A draft operational manual is prepared in Urdu for the councilors in Union Council.
MS: SABZI KHANUM OF Union Council PANDIK, District
Haripur
Ms Sabzi Khanum of union Council Pandik was elected on
the general seat. She did not contest the election purely on her own accord.
She has a very nominal education and can only sign her name, with no expertise
in reading and writing. Of the entire contents of the training, she was
most interested in the roles and responsibility portion. She contacted
the project team three days after the holding of the training and requested
for a quick refresher of the role and responsibility portion. Later, after
a period of two weeks, at the time of formation of the councilor forum,
she gave the following account of her activities, she said:
"When I came to know about my roles and responsibilities,
I felt really ashamed of myself to have wasted my time as a councilor
for more than one full year. I honestly started exploring issues concerning
women in my constituency. I came across an occasion where a newly wed
woman was being badly treated by her in-laws and that her husband, an
army man, was not giving her enough for her needs and as promised at the
time of the wedding. I, after consulting the nazim, wrote to the officers
of the man about the entire affair. The man was ordered to avail leave
and settle the matter and bring back a matter clearance certificate from
the union council. The matter was thus settled amicably.
At another instance of atrocities by the family of a groom
with the family of his bride through bribing the local police, I reported
the matter to the superintendent of police, this not only solved the matter
but the officials of the local police were also taken to task. The local
police had to apologize to me for its highhandedness"
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