Background/ Introduction
Nepalese society is a patriarchal and unequal society where many see their rights violated, and especially women and girls. Several factors explain this gender discrimination, including: religious traditions, the caste system, the dowry system, tradition who wants a girl, once married, to join her husband’s family and belongs to her in-laws. Women and girls are exposed to multiple levels of violence: sexual violence, trafficking, harassment, rapes, forced marriages, but also lack of access to property, income… Women also face a grueling daily workload. The situation is even more difficult in the countryside than in cities, because the traditions are livelier. It’s one of the reasons for many young girls to leave their village to reach Kathmandu and look for a way to earn a living. In Kathmandu, the “entertainment” sector is always looking for young recruits naïve and submissive. There are about 40 to 50,000 young women working as waitresses, masseuses, dancers and singers and 50 to 75% of them are forced to provide sexual services and are driven to prostitution. A third are under the age of 18 years and the vast majority was recruited prior to that age. Primary education begins at the age of 6 years. There are some nursery schools that are public, but little known to the communities, and are mostly of very poor quality. The renowned schools are private and expensive, so not within the reach of the poor. Thus, in the poorest families, young children under the age of 5 are often left to themselves, which is detrimental to their development. Most of the women working in the entertainment industry come from rural areas and migrate only. Without parents to care for their young children, they bring them at their workplace. In this context, 2 major issues were identified: violence against women and the reproduction of the schema through the children. This is to break the vicious circle of gender violence by helping children to build on another model.
General objective:
The overall objective of the project will contribute to social and economic inclusion of women and children that are among the most discriminated against in two districts of Nepal – respectively in urban areas and in rural areas.
Note: this project presentation concerns only the actions of the project taking place in the urban area of Kathmandu valley.
Specific Objective:
In this context, the project will specifically concern in the target communities:
- The promotion of gender equality and the protection of women against exploitation;
- The creation of long-term conditions fostering an environment conducive to the development of young children.
Children aged 3 to 5 years : 90
Young girls and women : 250
Male Role Model : 20
Teachers/Caretakers : 16
SMC members : 40
CSOs : 30
R1.1: Women have better access to and knowledge of their rights
R1.2: Women have made their livelihoods better
R2.1: Children aged 3 to 5 years of women beneficiaries of the project have access to the pre-school
R2.2: the quality of the education of young children, at home and in preschool schools, improved in target communities.
R3: Stakeholders of civil society in the intervention districts have increased their skills on the matters of women empowerment and Early Childhood Development.
- Operation of a model ECD center in Kathmandu
- Parental education
- Training of ECD teachers and caretakers
- Creation and dissemination of tools on gender equality and ECD
- Creation and dissemination of tools for pre-primary schools
- Mobilization of local authorities on the issues of women and children
- Sessions to raise awareness on gender equality and women’s rights
- Mobilization of male role models
- Cascading events by the role models will happen throughout the year.
- Psychosocial support
- Promotion of savings and credits schemes
- Access to professional autonomy (vocational trainings and Income Generating Activity – IGA – support)
