VOICE: Voicing for Equality and Justice for Women in Karnali

Project Background:

The women empowerment project: VOICE; Voicing for Equality and Justice for Women in Nepal has been implementing in 6 VDCs of two districts (3 in Mugu and 3 in Humla) of Karnali zone. KIRDARC in advisory role of the WWS, in technical support of Mission East and financial support of Civil Society in Development (CISU) is leading entire project implementation process. The project has been initiated since 15th January 2015 and completed in 15th November 2016. This project aims to empower women and civil society organisations for better inclusion and development in the Karnali Zone, Nepal’. This will be achieved by creating a conducive and inclusive environment for women and girls in the Karnali region to be able to participate in, contribute to and benefit from development efforts at local level. To ensure the overall development objective of the project few indicative objectives have been organized in to three different project results that are:

  1.  Women & Girls have adequate knowledge, skills and capacity to fight discrimination and violence and their family and wider society have positive attitude, perceptions and behaviour towards them.

  2.  Civil Society has better capacity and stronger networks to complement government efforts, work as watch-dogs, influence local policy decision (resource allocations, programming, etc.) in favour of right holders, forward accountability

  3.  Local Government structures (VDCs and DDCs) are more inclusive, and accountable

Key Target group of the project are: Women (especially Dalit, single, women with disabilities, ultra-poor), girls (especially, adolescent girls who are dropout from school, from dalit family, irregular at school, and from ultra-poor family), social leaders, boys, and wider social actors: CBOs, political representatives, local service providing agencies, government agencies and CSOs.

1294

Male

1872

Female

Specific Outputs


  1. 4,000 women and adolescent girls are sensitized on gender, women rights, and have internalized the structural causes of discrimination, deprivation and poverty
  2. Capacity of 1,000 women and adolescent girls is strengthened on basic life-skills and leadership
  3. At least. 1,000 male heads of family and 80 social leaders sensitized on women’s issues
  4. Women and social leaders work together to form at least 6 VDC level task forces to protect women from discriminations
  5. At least 6 district level CSOs (3 in Humla and 3 in Mugu) and their networks working on gender issues and representing the target groups (including KIRDARC and WWS) are trained on GESI and accountability
  6. 26 women groups and networks (18 Women Development Advocacy groups and 8 networks) are trained to advocate against women discrimination and violence and linked with national networks
  7. 8 Local networks capacitated to formulate joint advocacy plan and at least 16 local advocacy campaigns -executed
  8. 51 VDC secretaries aware of their obligations and practice inclusive VDC planning process
  9. 6 VDCs ensure the resources and their use for women and girls as per prevailing guideline of government for development grant mobilization at local level
  10. 6 VDCs developed periodic plan (master plan) and used as a reference for future programming for all actors
  11. At least 10 local level service providing institutions practice regular social audit and public hearing process

Donors