Women’s development on demand

The VDCs of Palpa district, however, have expressed that the proposals from women often lack something in both quantity and quality. When Women Welfare Association decided to act on this problem in its 12 working VDCs, it coincided with a new initiative of the Palpa District Development Committee: In Srawan 2065 (July/August 2008) the DDC decided to include women more actively in the field of women development through a new kind of network, called "Women’s empowerment Coordination Committee".

The newly formed network is envisioned to cover all wards in the 65 VDCs of Palpa, through VDC sub-networks and it seems that the DDC is positive about working together with local NGOs in order to make this network able to serve the needs of women and also with the ambition of being a tool for participatory monitoring of work done by the VDC.

Active participation of WWA women representatives

The Chairperson of Women Welfare Association, Kashika Gaire, who is a member of the network of Madanpokhara VDC Palpa, is positive: "Through this type of network, women from all levels can get access to the decision-making process. The budgets allocated for empowerment and development of women should not be spent in other sectors, but exactly for empowerment, capacity development and leadership development for and by women," she says.

WWA has so far played a role in the process by advocating and directly supporting the actual formation of the networks, most actively so in the 12 working VDCs of WWA. So far, VDC women networks have been formed in 48 out of 65 VDCs, and the reports from the many experienced women groups, covered by the WWA partnership with MS Nepal, have been enthusiastic. The local government bodies are also positive and would like to draw on the capacity of WWA for activities such as proposal writing, leadership development and advocacy and awareness building on gender, in order to teach women even in the more remote wards that they have to demand development in their area.

Jamuna Jargha, a member of Sayari Women Welfare Group, Palpa, says, "I thought after joining the Women Welfare Association, that it would be helpful to support women with the women network. I have received the opportunity now. Through the network, we need to move forward to raise women's rights, awareness, and capacity building." Teacher Sabitra Adhikari feels a bit more cautious: "I hope that through this network, new programs will flourish and the women get opportunity to present their views and participate in the decision making, at least at the VDC level," she says.