Sensitization Event for Influential Male Leaders

Sensitization Events Held for Influential Male Leaders of Chepang Community

Development Exchange Center (DEC-Nepal) organized four sensitization events for Influential Male Leaders (IMLs) of selected Chepang Communities.  Four events were held at different locations of Chitwan: Muglin on 26^th June, Shaktikhor on 28^th June, Siddhi on 29^th June and Sauraha on 30^th June. Altogether 120 participants, including 18 female Local Resource Persons (LRPs), from 6 Chepang dominant VDCs of Chitwan district- Siddhi, Korak, Kaule, Chandibhanjyang, Shaktikhor and Lothar- attended the events. These events were held under the financial assistance of United Nation Development Fund (UNDEF), USA in collaboration with South Asia Partnership (SAP) Nepal and National Chepang Association of Nepal. The events were organized as a part of the ongoing project “Reinforcing Women of the Chepang community as Change agents for promoting Local Governance in Nepal.”

The objectives of the training were four-fold:

1. To highlight the importance of Chepang women’s participation in local development planning and decision process for the sustainable and holistic development of Chepang community.
2. To inform the influential male leaders about the objectives and the activities of the project, this is promoting the local governance through the empowerment of local Chepang women.
3. To develop a common understanding with influential male leaders about the potential roles they can play in increasing the participation of Chepang women in local development planning and decision process
4. To increase social accountability of influential male leaders in ensuring participation of Chepang women in local development planning process. (there is a separate file for objectives I shall attach it later after your correction)

All the male participants were spouses of the members of Women Chepang Action Fora, social mobilizers, local teachers, father in laws and/or executive members of Nepal Chepang Association. It is expected that these men will play important role in changing the mindsets of Chepang men as well as local government stakeholders about the relevance of engagement of Chepang women in local development planning process. Each event comprised of 2 sessions: the first session was focused on GESI (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion), Budget Planning Process and it Steps, participation of Chepang community in local development planning process whereas the second session was focused on Social Accountability and its importance, its tools – community score card and social audit.

Participants showed their concern and enthusiasm on the issues raised by the facilitators Mr. Bishnu Kumar Shrestha and Mr. Janak Karki . Some of these issues are: low or no representation of Chepang community, particularly Chepang women, in local development planning process, has been the major cause of their backwardness; because of the ignorance of the provision that the government has allocated 10 percent of the each VDC budget for women, most community members do not care whether the fund has been used as intended; etc. Laxman Chepang, one of the participants who also happen to be the president of Nepal Chepang Association, highlighted on the role of women for overall development of Chepang Community. The participants expressed their commitment on encouraging female members of their family to participate in ward and VDC level meetings and various other activities outside their house.

Two resource persons, one from DEC Nepal and other a guest speaker from a District Development Committee, Mr. Janak Karki  and Mr. Bishnu Kumar Shrestha. Ms. Manisha Bhattarai, Learning Monitoring and Evaluation Officer hosted the event.   Mr. Narendra Prasad Joshi, Executive Director of SAP Nepal also attended 26^th June program, he introduced the objective of the program in the context of project in the opening session of the project. He expressed his confidence that this sensitization event will motivate the participants to encourage their female family members to participate in local governance process. Local media covered the events: Chitwan Times, a local daily, published the news while Radio Arpa, a local FM and a media partner of the Project broadcasted the radio program about the events.

Overall the events were very successful because there was encouraging participation of influential male leaders and they committed to encourage their family female members by helping them in household activities, informing them about the meeting schedules and guiding them to participate in different activities outside the house.