Case Study

ADVOCACY AT DISTRICT AND CENTAL LEVEL

Issues and Activities at the Central level

WHR has recognized certain issues emerging from the district and central level workshops that took place recently, as well as in keeping with the vision of WHR that need urgent advocacy.

Therefore WHR formed an Advocacy team that met weekly to discuss and prioritize the issues that needed to be immediately addressed. The Advocacy Team conducted a central level workshops that also had participation from district single women (SW) groups, network and partner organizations.

At the workshop certain priority issues emerged, that the participants thought needed urgent attending to. The priority issues were as follows (in order of most priority). Also stated below is the Activity conducted in addressing the issue and minimizing the persisting problem.

Issue 1

The inclusion and participation of single women (widows) in the upcoming Constituent Assembly and Peace Building process of the nation. Because single women (widows) and their dependents are some of the worst victims of conflict, they must be given utmost priority in participation at all levels.

Work done

WHR along with 12 leading women's NGO's have united for a collaborated effort together in planning for spreading mass awareness, capacity building and politically mainstreaming women at grass root levels. The collaborations aim at giving priority to single women (widows) and our issues.

Issue 2

The Widows Charter needs to be ratified by Nepal and endorsed as it clearly states the rights and needs of single women (widows) and would be a vital tool in empowering single women (widows).

Work done

The Widows Charter needs to be endorsed through the SAARC network, and has been sent to the Foreign Desk of Ministry. It is in the process therefore of being ratified by SAARC. WHR is also in the process of launching our Widows Charter through our South Asian Network for Widows Empowerment in Development (SANWED). An online “E Advocacy” is being designed.

Issue 3

Compensations and Scholarships provided by the government have been discriminatory- Compensation and scholarships have been provided only to single women (widows) and their children who have been affected by war and conflict. While our data shows that one of the most marginalized group of people are single women (widows) and their dependents, it doesn’t seem fair that such women are excluded from getting compensation and scholarships for their children.

Work done

Single women (widows) in Katmandu and districts have twice gathered in front of the parliament building to advocate for this issue. An Advocacy letter has been sent to the Home Ministry as well.

Issue 4

There is data lacking regarding the single women (widows), therefore in the upcoming census data of single women (widows) have to be included.

Work done

  • At the district levels, many single women (widows) groups have collaborated to collect data concerning single women (widows) at the VDC level. Some single women (widows) groups have already sent in their data to the central level, while others are in the process of collection.
  • The central level is in the process of organizing a national workshop with a team of experts like Mina Acharya for advocacy of including single women (widows) data in the upcoming census.

Issues and Activities at the District level

Workshops were held at the district levels in Saptari, Surkhet and Dharan. Women from 37 single women (widows) groups participated in the workshops. Like at the central level, issues were prioritized and discussed. The emerging issues that the participants thought needed to be urgently addressed are as follows:

  1. Job/ employment replacement schemes needs to be provided to single women (widows), who will be able to take over their husbands jobs under this provision.
  2. At all VDC program activities 5% should be allocated for single women (widows) and advocacy of our issues
  3. Ill cultural practices that still occur in society needs more advocacy and awareness.
  4. A practice that young single women (widows) are required to handover their property to a guardianship until they attain a certain age, has left many young single women (widows) deprived and later stripped off their own property. Therefore this provision of guardianship needs to be removed.
  5. In order to register property, single women (widows) registering property should pay less that the normal fee, so that they will get more opportunity to register.
  6. Single women (widows) with membership ID cards of WHR should be allotted same transportation status to that of students which includes less bus and vehicle fee.
  7. Special social security schemes need to be introduced for single women (widows) under the constitutional provision.

What is being done to address the emerging issues?

By District single women (widows) groups

  1. Single women (widows) groups are acting like a pressure group in collaboration with the central office to lobby and advocate for single women (widows) issues and in spreading awareness and sensitizing the society
  2. District single women (widows) groups are documenting case studies and data relating to single women (widows) at VDC levels
  3. Door to door campaigns are being held at district level
  4. Awareness activities like talk programs with VDC, DDC level stakeholders, round table discussions are being conducted
  5. Rallies are taking place at district level in order to gather consent of people for mass action
  6. Building of local network of single women (widows) groups
  7. Individual legal cases are being documented and pursued, by para legal volunteers who are opening up prospective cases of single women (widows)

The end to discrimination against single women (widows) and a resolution for their issues are an ongoing process. There is no immediate solution or change. The major task has been in prioritizing the issues of single women (widows) and flowing up with deliberate and well planned action. Lobby and sensitization is taking place at both district and national level and collaborative action is being implemented accordingly.