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Deciding For Themselves
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MEETING MATTERS Women elected as local representatives in Nepal share information on how they can be more effective in their roles
In March 1997 the King of Nepal issued an ordinance decreeing that 20% of local government seats be set aside for women. Two months later, in Nepal’s local elections, more than 39,000 women assumed office for the first time for a five-year term. However, far from being a triumph for the newly elected women, they quickly learned that their new title carried little weight in the male-dominated village development committees (VDCs).
Though the Local Self-Governance Act of 1998 should have empowered elected women representatives, many remain unaware of their roles and responsibilities, and are yet to fully exercise their rights in the VDC decision-making processes.
Many elected women representatives still lack the information, confidence, and skills to participate fully in decision making, and many face discrimination from their male counterparts. Many men in the VDCs believe that the elected women lack education and capacity, and only hold their positions because of the mandate.
Some women representatives have been unaware of even the simplest information regarding their responsibilities, such as that ward and VDCs should meet once a month. They also did not know that each VDC has its own development fund of NRs500,000 ($6,850), and that they, as VDC representatives, have a right to help determine how this money is spent.
To empower the elected women ward representatives, ADB provided $20,000 for the effort in September 2000 to the Centre for Development and Population Activities, the associate nongovernment organization of the Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI). The project focused on training elected women ward representatives and helping boost their confidence and capacity to participate in local government. The project was implemented in four VDCs—one each in Lalitpur, Rupendehi, Dang, and Morang districts— representing the central, western, midwestern, and eastern regions of Nepal, respectively.
Women trainers were chosen in the four project VDCs. A needs assessment was made and a training manual prepared. VDC chairs, vice chairs, ward chairpersons, and potential and existing elected women ward representatives received training. Thirtysix ward-level training sessions for women were held on the roles and responsibilities of the VDC and of elected women ward representatives, budget allocation per VDC, gender equity and development, women’s legal rights, leadership development, and crimes against women.
Of the 129 women participants, nine trainers and one supervisor were selected in each of the workshops. Thirty-six trainers and four supervisors across the four VDCs then learned to train women in their wards. Each trainer conducted nine two-day training workshops over a three-month period. Fifteen women participated in each workshop, resulting in the training of 1,215 women in each of the VDCs for a total of 4,860 across the project.
Although affiliated with different political parties, the women were united in their views and aspirations and keen to develop their respective VDCs. Some said that before being elected, they had little interest in or awareness of local government. Now they were eager to play an active—and growing —role in their wards.
One participant noted that women office bearers in her VDC had never met as a group before the project. After meeting with SRISTI project leaders, she and other participants suggested that elected women ward representatives convene before VDC meetings to discuss their shared concerns and develop proposals.
The project demonstrated that expanding opportunities for women to participate in public forums while eliciting support from their male counterparts is a workable strategy to support the gender mainstreaming process in local governance structures, and that a better informed and aware community is more likely to demand transparency in prioritizing development projects.
It is envisaged that this training should take place in the first year of each elected woman ward representative’s five-year term so as to contribute to greater awareness of the roles and responsibilities of the VDC and the women representatives.
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