Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) are important factors of empowerment and development of the community and initiatives to the processes by which people’s well-being changes. There need to explore and examine regularly the policy interest in GESI matters where analyzing social and gender relations and the policy work and practice to the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Hence, a one-day panel discussion workshop on “roles of stakeholders in the creation of GESI-friendly environment at a local level” was organized at Bhingri Pyuthan on 9th December 2022. The event was jointly organized by the GOAL II and PERCAV projects in collaboration with the local level aiming to analyze the policies/rules/regulations related to GESI, and its application and explore the gaps in the policy work and plan of intervention. A worksheet (paperwork presentation) was presented capturing the status of GESI policy, practices, GBVs cases, and reporting as well as barriers. This event was facilitated by a freelancer consultant experienced in GESI and mass communication.
Meanwhile, group work was conducted to explore the ways forward and possible initiatives that need to be prioritized by the municipality for making GESI friendly environment. The representatives of the municipality, ward offices and their departments, co-operatives, networks of women, children, and Persons with disabilities (PWDs), and development partners. All of the participants realized that the initiatives and status of the GESI (policy developed, judicial committee and networks formed, cases reported) have satisfactory but there need to be improvements such as effective policy work, capacitating the judicial and networks, strengthening of a safe house and organize the sensitization events in the community level. Finally, the mayor of the municipality committed to addressing the concerns to fulfill the gaps for initiating GESI friendly environment from the local level side also.
The GOAL-II and PERCAV projects are funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and implemented by ADRA Nepal in partnership with FIRDO Nepal Pyuthan, and RUDAS Nepal Rolpa at Pyuthan and Rolpa.
