Start Date: 2010
End Date: 2014
Location: Makwanpur District
Partner: LfL, UK/ DFID UK
Context
Many women living in rural areas of Nepal do not have easy access to education or healthcare and they are also not able to enjoy the rights and entitlements guaranteed by the nations. Consequently, they are often unaware of their rightful privilege.
What we are doing
COSAN partnered with Learning for Life (LfL) UK to promote the inclusion of women in policy making and social services, particularly women living in remote and often inaccessible mountainous areas of Nepal. We are working to educate women on their rights and entitlements and to improve excluded communities’ ability to engage in the local decision-making process through the formation and training of community action groups. We are training and building the capacity of not only the target beneficiaries but also other stakeholders including local decision makers, influential leaders and other non-governmental organisation. Not our focus is in the economic empowerment of the women in the second phase.
Changes Observed
- 285 socially-excluded women are now taking part in local decision-making bodies. 22,145 children in the project area have started full-time primary education.
- 110 community action groups (2,321 members) have collectively reduced domestic violence by 60% in their villages.
- The saving pattern of women groups have increased. Till now approx. NRS 40,00,000 has been saved and invested among group members
- Members from Community Action Groups who were trained by COSAN have become involved in different income generation activities like soap production, poultry farming, mushroom farming, off-seasonal vegetation farming etc.
Support us to improve the economic conditions of the women group and child education