Women Awareness Center Nepal

A variety of development activities are carried out through WACN’s integrated Community-Based Development Program (CBDP), including school renovations, trail repairs, the promotion of alternative energy, the building of drinking water facilities and wells, the provision of scholarships for female children, and the launching of health awareness campaigns. The CBDP also offers a variety of trainings on gender and health, personal development, co-operative management, finances, soil management, and other technical skills.

In 2001, a coalition of 19 families living near the community forest in Ugratara VDC in Kavre wanted to expand their private land into the community forest. The 400 women of Bhakteswori Nari Chetana Savings and Credit Co- operative, who were tree-planting in the forest at the time, objected. In response, the families enlisted the support of local politicians and government administrators. They even went to the police station, asking the officers to arrest the cooperative women. The cooperative women, fearing that being taken away in the police van would imply that they had done something wrong, walked for an hour to Dhulikhel District Headquarters to defend their actions in front of the government administration there. They then decided to pursue a lawsuit against the 19 families. Despite facing constant harassment and criticism for their actions, the women continued with the law suit. They lost in district court. However, two years later, they won in the appeals court. Individually, the cooperative women could never have succeeded against these more powerful families in protecting their local forest, which serves as a local water source and income for the surrounding community. Yet after undergoing many training sessions on savings, credit, agriculture, and management, their confidence grew. Consequently, they were able to unite as a group and effectively advocate for their community rights, ultimately prevailing.

 

The thirty women of the Jagaran informal savings and credit group asked WACN to work in their VDC. In response, WACN implemented its CBDP and sustainable agriculture programs in the Ugrachandi Nala VDC. The resulting co-operative, Shree Nari Jagaran Savings and credit Co-operative Ltd., now has approximately 500 women shareholders and is mobilizing more than Rs. 5,000,00.  On their own initiative the women approached the Small and Cottage Industry Department of HMG in Kathmandu and made an agreement to run trainings on leather products (e.g., purses, glasses cases, mobile cases). Twenty five village women took this training. The government provided all the necessary materials. The women can now pull-out co-operative loans to start their own leather production businesses.

The cooperative group also made a request for a training on 'public presenting'  to provide the women with the skill set and confidence to appear before others as well as act more assertively in their personal lives. The local journalist, Mr. Bhim Gautam, volunteered to do this training. Fifteen women benefited. The head of the co-operative, Nirmala Shrestha, is committed to social work, and organizes annual blood donations in the VDC among other activities. 

The Shakhnswori cooperative illustrates another example of cooperative women tapping into local resources. In 2011, the management committee of Shakhnswori Nari Chetna Cooperative approached the District Development Committee for money to irrigate their paddy field. The DDC provided them with Rs. 600,000, which they have effectively used to develop their fields.