Advocacy Update

Welcome to the New Issue of
Advocacy Update
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
Jan-April 2013
WOREC Nepal
Balkumari, Lalitpur
WOREC Newsletter
January-April 2013 | Issue 1
We would like to welcome you to new
issue of Advocacy Update which highlights
the events that took place from January to
April 2013. The issue presents the advocacy
strategies taken by WOREC NEPAL at
national and international level. It highlights
the activities on National Consultation on
Violence against Women, Human Rights
assessment instrument on Domestic
Violence (DOVA), discussion on need of
Fast Track Court in Nepal and celebration of
international women’s day.

January-April | 2013
WOREC recently organised the National
Conference on Violence against Women
(NCVAW)entitled"HolisticApproachestoRealizing
Women’s Rights Ensuring Justice, Ensuring Rights:
from Victimhood to Agency" in collaboration with
the Prime Minister’s Office, National Women’s
Commission, NAWHRD, Nari Sip Srijana
Kendra and Gramin Mahila Sewa Kendra, with
a commitment to place the rights of survivors
in the center. The discussions at the conference
raised the need to review existing government
policies and framework against VAW. It was
unanimously decided that present frameworks
are discriminatory in their conceptualisation
of women as victims incapable of agency.
Additionally, it was revealed that there was a
need to strengthen measures for the security of
WHRDs who serve as champions for bringing
the issues of VAW to the surface, especially in
situations where state machinery is inadequate.
Government bodies have a lot to learn from
Hetauda, Makwanpur | January 6-7, 2013
Holistic Approaches to Realizing
Women’s Rights Ensuring Justice,
Ensuring Rights: from Victimhood
to Agency
National Conference on
Violence against Women (NCVAW)
2

civil society groups and WHRDs about
the realities of VAW in Nepal. This
information exchange program was
therefore crucial for positive partnerships
and in the formation of government
strategies to challenge VAW.
The national conference had the
following objectives:
• To generate knowledge on the
current situation and the complexities
of VAW;
• To share and document women’s
process from victims to agents of
change;
Overview on the issues of Violence
againstWomenbyDr.RenuRajbhandari,
Chairperson,NationalAllianceofWomen
Human Right Defenders (NAWHRD)
In current scenario government is not
sensitive enough on women’s issues, existing
laws are not amended, new laws are not
formulated, media are not being sensitive and
activists are tired of raising voices but still the
efforts are not enough. The cases of violence
against women are not registered i.e. their
F.I.R is not easily registered. It is necessary
to think whether our strategy is not working
or we are not analyzing the loopholes in the
process to get justice. So we need to strategize
• To review policies, and the
institutional efforts of countries that
have attempted to provide redress to
women survivors;
• To provide a forum for civil society
organizations, women’s rights
activists, and policy makers to
collectively analyse gaps in service
provision and support services for
survivors while identifying future
strategies;
• To develop closer links between
theoryandpractice,andtoallowspace
for dialogue between practitioners
and knowledge producers.
from Victimhood to Agency. We have to look
if the women are re-victimized in the court
or in any legal procedures. We are here not
to blame each-other but to sit together to sort
out our problems and find the way out with
effective solutions.”
Dr. Renu Rajbhandari,
Chairperson NAWHRD
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
3

Dr. Mina Acharya, Senior Researcher,
Economist, and Gender Expert
She elaborated that these days women are more
aware about their rights and they are asking
for their education and liberty which can
be the reason of increasing violence against
women. There is a huge possibility of resisting
force from those people who are in favor of and
benefiting from existing social structure. The
mechanisms for implementation of existing
laws are lacking. The people’s mindset should
be changed. So, from this platform all should
come with way out to end violence against
women.
Mohana Ansari, Member of National
Women Commission
There is a need of economic empowerment for
women. Women of all 75 districts were on the
streets asking justice. This is possible due to
the effort highlighting the situation of women
by the media through community media and
communication. The perpetrators are not
punished by the concerned authority and are
encouraged to commit such violence time and
again in society. The smugglers are proudly
exposed to public but the perpetrators of
violence against women are not revealed such
way because they are directly or indirectly
affiliated to political parties. The issues raised
are nowhere though entering into political
mainstream after decade long conflict. So,
the state is obliged to hear the victim’s voice
and shouldn’t talk only about punishment
but also should provide compensation to the
victims.
Raju Man Singh Malla, Secretary of
Prime Minister’s Office
He said that it is somehow true that the
concerned authorities are not being sensitive
enough on the issues of violence against
women. The policy on Zero Tolerance on
Violence against Women is still under
process. The policies on violence against
women and women empowerment are still
under implementation although they are less
effective.
The conference intended to provide
a learning platform for activists,
researchers, and practitioners to review
the struggle for freedom from VAW. It
intends to bring academia and activists
closer to enrich the analysis and actions
to strengthen the struggle against VAW
in present globalized, militarized would
with increasing fundamentalism.
Dr. Mina Acharya, Senior Researcher,
Economist, and Gender Expert
Mohana Ansari
Member of National Women Commission
Raju Man Singh Malla
Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
4

Conclusion
• All the patriarchal structure in
state should be eliminated for
transforming the transitional
society into a just society.
• There should be provisions of
psychosocial counselors and
care takers in every safe shelter
for the survivors of violence.
• The government should create
a favorable environment
for family reintegration or
empowerment of survivors of
violence to sustain their livelihood.
• Theinvestigationdepartmentmustbe
strengthened through establishment
of strong structure and conceptualize
doctors with Medico-legal issues.
• Safe Shelters must be directed
with human right approach
and victimhood approach.
• The issues of women should be
addressed by the government
through human right basedapproach
rather than welfare approach.
• The recommendations made
through Makawanpur Declaration,
2013 on Violence against Women
will be put forward for the
further advocacy at policy level.
Need, Possibility and
Challenges of
Fast Track Court1
in Nepal
An interaction program on the need,
possibility and challenges of Fast
Track Court was jointly organized by
the National Women's Commission,
National Alliance of Women Human
Rights Defenders and WOREC Nepal
on 1st
March 2013 at the National
Women's Commission, Bhadrakali Plaza,
Kathmandu, Nepal. The interaction
program had the following objectives:
• To discuss about the need, possibility
and challenges to establish a Fast
Track Court in Nepal.
• To collect suggestions and feedbacks
fromthestakeholdersontheoperation
of the Fast Track Court.
1 Fast Track Court is special type of court set up
for speedy trial in special cases where hearing is
done either daily or without much delay.
International Women’s Day
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
5

Representatives from the Ministry of
Women, Children and Social Welfare,
National Women's Commission, Ministry
of Law and Justice, Political Parties, Civil
Society Organizations, Lawyers and Line
agencies participated in the program and
discussed about the immediate need of
Fast Track Court in Nepal. Following
were the major recommendations of the
program:
• Recently publicized cases of VAW
need speedy justice.
• Fast Track Court is an urgent
need for the survivors of violence
against women.
• Modality for the operation of fast
track court should be designed.
• Comprehensive research should
be carried out before establishing
a Fast Track Court with
developing short term and long
term strategies.
• In the absence of a Fast Track
Court, juvenile court could be
an alternative to look after cases
related to VAW for the time being.
• Nepal Bar Association should act
as a focal point in establishing
Fast Track Court. Roles and
responsibilities to the concerned
stakeholders and organizations
should be divided accordingly.
• Nepal Bar Association should
form a committee to pressurize
the Government of Nepal in
establishing Fast Track Court as
soon as possible.
• At least one Fast Track Court
should be established as a "model"
so that it could be replicated in
other parts of the country.
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
6

Rape law: its consequences and challenges
their perspective.
A total of 64 people participated in
the interaction program. Participants
included representatives from the
Nepal Bar Association, Civil Society
Organizations, Lawyers, Line agencies
and Media. Discussion focused on the
immediate need of new amendments
to Rape Law. Following were the major
recommendations made by the program:
• Fast Track Court is an urgent need for
the victims of rape. For the time being
one bench should be allocated to look
after cases related to Violence against
Women.
• Lobbying and advocacy should be
carried out to make GON responsible
to amend a new rape law emphasizing
A series of rape incidents and other forms
of violence against women are increasing
and are reported almost every day in
leading newspapers of the country. Rape
is a crime against humanity; and it must
be punished. The Interim Constitution of
Nepalhasguaranteedtherightofequality
to women, however discrimination and
violenceagainstwomenismanifestedina
number of ways. There exist loopholes in
the Nepalese criminal justice system that
allows criminals to escape punishment.
Though legislation against rape exists
in Nepal, the law does not sufficiently
address crime against humanity. There is
a need of new amendments to Rape Law
which has to be addressed immediately.
In this regard, an interaction program
on "Rape law: its consequences and
challenges" was organized by WOREC
Nepal on 13 March 2013 with the
following objectives;
Objectives of the program
• To discuss about the need for serious
review and amendment of legal
provision for the protection of the
rape victims of Nepal.
• To collect suggestions and feedbacks
from the stakeholders to address the
right to remedy of rape victim from
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
7

on victim and witness protection
laws.
• Apart from punishing criminals
againsthumanity,asystemshould
be developed for the prevention
of the crime.
• Comprehensive research should
be carried out for the amendment
of new rape law.
• There should be the special
women's desks at police stations
and resourceful and skilled
women police cells in all districts
to support the survivors of sexual
violence. Also, there is a need for
women judge to hear such trials.
• The provision of law should be
strong to put the burden on the
perpetrators while collecting
evidences that they were not
involved in such act rather than
pressurizing the victim.
• Sensitization of legal and
health professional should be
emphasized as they are the first
contact persons for the victims
whenever the incident takes place.
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
8

WOREC Nepal has been celebrating
International Women’s Day with
variousprograms.Itwascelebratedwith
different programs in Siraha district
too. In collaboration with Government
and Non Government organizations, a
mass rally was organized where about
300 people showed their solidarity by
attending the rally. The program was
started from Women and Children
Office premise and ended in District
Development Committe office.
On the same day, an interaction
program entitled “Situation of VAW
and the victim’s access to Justice” was
organized with concern stakeholders.
In the program, Lekh Bahadur Katuwal
from WOREC Nepal presented a paper
on Violence against Women entitled
“Situation of Women’s access to safety
and justice”. The paper concluded that
sustainable peace is possible only with
the equal participation of women in
the peace process. The paper further
focuses on the increasing number
of VAW cases like rape, acid burns,
murder in the district due to the
prolonged transitional period in the
country. Likewise women right activist
Shyam Shah presented an anaylitical
paper on Rape Cases in Siraha since
past five years. Advocate Om Kumari
Shah presented a paper on new Law
and policy for women’s participation
and protection. Besides Advocate
Gopichandra Bhattarai also presented
a paper on National and international
laws on Women.
The participants of program viewed
that ending the VAW is possible only
with an effective implementation of law
and equal support from male members.
In Udayapur district WOREC Nepal,
Katari and Triveni VDC, Chetansil
Community Organization, Paraligal,
Nari Kalyan Bachat tatha Rin Shahakari
Sanstha collectively organized a rally,
cultural program and street drama on
the issues of women’s right.
Celebration of International Women’s Day (8 March)
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
9Programs organized in Udayapur

On the same day in Gaighat,
Udayapur Declaration was prepared in
recognition of women’s work, ensuring
their economic right and to end view.
Four major political parties namely
Nepali Congress, CPN Maoist, CPN
Local Leaders for Change honoured
In Siraha, Women right activists and working women from the community were
honoured for their efforts in a program entitled “the Situation of VAW and the victim’s
access to Justice”. The honored activists were Sunita Rasaili, Pramila Mukhia, Gita
Shah, Sunita Das, Shanti Paswan, Sunita Yadav, Puna Shah, Phool Kumari Shrestha,
Bina Devi Yadav, America Sada, Bimala Devi Mahato, Pawan Devi Mahara, Laxmi
Kumari Yadav, Jagiya Mallik and Bimala Kuset.
Women Human Right Defenders and activists
(from Udayapur district) Sharmila Majhi,
Divamaya Shrestha, Thagmaya Shrestha, Kamal
Kumari Bhujel, Sarita Pariya, Deti Kumar, Kumari
Khadka, Januka Dhami and Sita Shah were
honored in a program.
Women Right Activists and the local leaders who had been fighting continuously
against violence against women and to ensure women’s right, health and education
rights were honoured in diffrent programs in Siraha and Udayapur.
Organizing committee for the
celebrationofInternationalWomen’s
Day in Udayapur honored Seti Maya
Ale, Karna Maya Magar, Dev Kumari
Phuyal, Aruna Chaudhary and other
three women were honoured in the
program.
(UML), Nepal Ekata Kendra showed
their solidarity signing the declaration
in a program organized in Udayapur.
WOREC also participated in a joint
rally in Kathmandu, Udayapur, Dang,
Kailali and Biratnagar.
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
10
Programs organized in Udayapur, Kathmandu and Siraha respectively from left to right

research, which will ultimately give
recommendation to the government.
Organizations involved in the project/
research are Women Forum for Women
in Nepal (WOFOWON, women engaged
in entertainment sector), LOOM Nepal
(Youngwomenledwomen'sorganization),
Mahila Ekta Samaj (Women organization
from squatters of Kathmandu and led by
women from the squatter themselves),
Nepal Disabled Women Association
(NDWA, organization working for
disabled women's right), Sahayatri Samaj
Nepal (Organization working for rural
women's right) and Mukti Nepal (A
community-based women organization
from southern part of Nepal i.e. Terai).
All together there were 14 participants in
Workshop on DOVA
WOREC Nepal organized the first
training of DOVA in Nepal from 29th
of April to the 3rd
of May to create an
appropriate mechanism to ensure the
Human Rights of women suffering from
domestic violence and for the protection
and prevention of domestic violence in
the country. Loeky Droesen the writer of
DOVA was the main facilitator.
Participants represented a wide variety
of the Nepali population including
marginalized groups such as women
working in the entertainment industry,
women living with disabilities and
rural women. They revealed that
DOVA research would support their
work in one and other way and would
help to strengthen evidence-based
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
11

the training.
DOVA is the unique instrument
developed to Aim for human
rights. The network member
organizations for DOVA are from
Europe, Africa, Latin America
and Asia. WOREC is one of
the partners from Asia; and
contributed to the development
of this instrument. DOVA was
developed to respond to the need
of Human Right organizations
working on domestic violence for
evidence based advocacy and to
support the government to fulfil
the due diligence. The DOVA
research instrument was launched
first time in Nepal.
DOVA was launched formally
with Chief Guest His Excellency
Glen White, Ambassador of
Australian Embassy and Ms
Marianne White on 3rd May 2013
at Kathmandu along with the
representatives from National
Women Commission (NWC),
NHRC (National Human Rights
Commission), Department of
Police, media personnel and other
civil society organizations.
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
12
His Excellency Glen White, Ambassador of
Australian Embassy and Ms Marianne White
launching the DOVA

WOREC Nepal participated in the 57th
session of the Commission on the Status
of Women (CSW) at United Nations
Headquarters in New York from 4 to 15
March 2013.
Dr. Renu Rajbhandari, Founder
Chairperson of WOREC Nepal and
Chairperson of National Alliance of
Women Human Rights Defenders
(NAWHRDs) shared the need of DOVA –
theHumanRightsAssessmentInstrument
on Domestic Violence. WOREC is a co-
developer of DOVA that will support
the government to develop appropriate
mechanisms to ensure the human rights
of women. This unique instrument will
also guide the civil society to carry out
action and rights-based policy research
on domestic violence.
On 7th
of March about 60 people
participated in the workshop: “Making
our Domestic Violence laws work
in practice”. A quick survey of the
participants showed all the continents
of the globe were represented, with the
exception of the Pacific, and more than
half the participants worked in practice
providing services to victims/survivors
of Domestic Violence. Most of the
participants also did lobby and advocacy
at the national level and a slightly
lower number at the international level.
In most of the countries, often as a result
of a strong lobby by women’s rights
groups, governments have adopted
Domestic Violence legislation and often
developed action plans as well. But
as many participants in the workshop
confirmed, the implementation of these
laws and policies is weak in practice.
The hosts of the workshop- Rights for
Change, the Netherlands; WOREC, Nepal
and Masimanyane, South Africa shared
experiences as co-developers of The
Human Rights assessment instrument
on Domestic Violence, DOVA.
CSW workshop: Holding your government
accountable for stopping Domestic Violence
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
13

22nd
General Assembly of WOREC elected
new Executive Committee on 10th
of
Feb, 2013. The composition of EC is as
follows: Ms. Saraj Gurung- Chairperson,
Ms. Bindu Gautam- Vice Chairperson,
Ms. Bina Pokharel- Secretary, Ms. Shova
Yadav- Treasurer and Ms. Anusuiya
Saha, Ms. Mandira Danuwar, Shiva Maya
Tumbahamphe, Bindra Maharjan, and
Jyotsna Maskay as members.
The new members were nominated
as representatives of women's
movement including their diverse
experiences, varied skills and expertise
on thematic issues and management, and
commitment towards human rights and
social justice.
Legal procedure training
Legal procedure and advocacy training was organized
byWORECinKailaliinordertoincreasetheknowledge
of community women. The objective of the program
was to provide the knowledge regarding procedural
laws and policy and to carry out the advocacy on VAW.
There was active participation of 26 women in the
program from different VDCs of Kailali. The program
was coordinated by District Coordinator of WOREC
Nepal, Sangita Adhikari with other staffs Sankutala
Chaudhary and advocate Devilal Chaudhary.
Participants of the program viewed they have faced many problems due to lack of
knowledge of current existing laws of Nepal. Moreover,they opined that knowledge
related to laws and policies should be widespread in the community too. The training
covered information related to Gender Based Violence, law and its importance, the
process of registration of the case and its documentation process and further methods of
advocacy on VAW. The program had been conducted by Binu Rana of WOREC Nepal.
WOREC elects new Executive Committee
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
14

Transformation of
traditional village
into eco-village
Transformation of traditional villages
into eco-villages is introduced in the
working districts of WOREC Nepal in
cooperation with AEI, Luxembourg
(Udayapur, Siraha, Dang and Salyan)
and ICCO, the Netherland (Udayapur
and Siraha). Dr. Binayak P. Rajbhandari
has been providing conceptual as
well as technical guidance to these
programs. WOREC focuses on more
on bio-intensive farming system in
agriculture for enhancing the food
security and sustainable livelihood of
the resource poor farmers through the
maximum utilization of the natural
resources. Besides bio-intensive
farming system WOREC has been
working on environmental protection
through the minimization of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides, increases
in agricultural production and
productivity, end violence against
women, end discrimination against
children, build social harmony in homes
and communities, economic security
for households and communities and
political commitment to gender equality
and social justice. For this WOREC
has been conducting the following
activities in Dang, Siraha and Udayapur
district: orientations, importance and
conservation of local seeds, importance
of kitchen gardens, bio-intensive
farming system, making compost,
making bio-pesticides, importance
and need of eco village, land right
and food security, animal health and
shed management, role of bif to adapt
climate change, bio-intensive farming
system, social mapping, baseline
survey, social audit, coordination
meeting with stakeholders, meeting
with farmers, support for drinking
water, farmer field school, building
improved shed , formation of youth
group, swine support, seed support
and mobile veterinary services. A total
of 4846 local people have benifitted
from the programme.
Likewise, WOREC Nepal organized 5
days financial management training
to all the four partner organizations
of Salyan district. The participants
of the training were basically the
Accountants, Program Coordinators
and board members which was
organised in community training and
resource centre of Tarigaun-3, Paddha,
Dang. Altogether 13 staffs from four
different organizations participated in
the training. The main objectives of the
training were (i) to enhance knowledge
of the partner organizations for financial
management, (ii) develop the capacity
of the partner organizations to keep the
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
15

financial records systematically, (iii)
know about the finance keeping system
of partner organizations and enhance
their capacity to keep financial record
as per AEI’s format. The methodologies
followed for the training are: group
discussions/work, lecture and
experience sharing.
The training was good and provided
many new ideas to the partner
organizations on financial management.
The financial recording system was
found to be quite weak of the partner
organizations. Therefore there is a need
of organizing the refresher training to
all the partner organisations.
Bio-intensive farming system
and sustainable livelihoods
WOREC Nepal with the financial
assistance from AEI, Luxembourg
and with the coordination from Tdh,
Germany has been implementing
the project entitled “Sustainable
Transformation of Agricultural
Systems for Enhancing Livelihood
Security of Subsistence Farmers in
Salyan District” since January, 2013
through partner organisations in five
VDCs of Salyan district. In view of the
factthatthisisanewagricultureproject
in Salyan, WOREC organised five day
training to the partner organisations
on Bio-intensive farming system
and sustainable livelihoods. The
training was conducted in WOREC’s
Community Training and Resource
Prepared by: Ramesh Bhandari
Published by:
WOREC Nepal, P.O.Box:13233, Kathmandu, Nepal,
Tel: 977-1-5006373, Fax: 977-1-5006271
Email: ics@worecnepal.org, URL: www.worecnepal.org
Centre at Paddha, Tarigaun-4, Dang.
The training mainly focused on
comparative analysis of bio-intensive
farming system and chemical farming
system, promotion, protection
and management of soil fertility,
importance of cropping pattern
and conservation of bio-diversity,
integrated pest management, mixed
farming system and agriculture
cooperatives and market management.
Altogether 19 people participated
in the training including the board
members of each organisation, JTAs
and social mobilisers. The discussions
with the participants at the end of the
training showed that the participants
were very enthusiastic on bio-intensive
farming system. They expressed
commitments to work on enhancing
the food security and sustainable
livelihood of the farmers in targeted
VDCs and ecovillages through the
approach of bio-intensive farming
system.
Editor: Dr. Binayak P. Rajbhandari
ADVOCACY
UPDATE
16

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