"Empowering Children and Women is Empowering Entire Humanity on Earth"
Background:
Although Nepal is well known to the world for its uniquely rich ancient cultural and natural heritage it still stands as one of the poorest countries in the world.
Over a decade long armed conflict, political instability, poor governance and the age-old wide spread practices of biased ness and discrimination as well as all sorts of maltreatment against children and women in every sphere of social , political, religious and state’s mechanisms of governance has crippled the over all equitable and sustainable development of the Nation.
As the result the situation of children and women, public health and education, water and sanitation, as well as peace and security has grown worse. The continuously deteriorating socio-economic condition due to long armed conflict, social unrest, political instability, lack of rights based participatory intervention to enhancing the access of children and women to quality education, health, sexual and reproductive health services as well as employment has forced women and children to live in extremely difficult and miserable condition. The utter misery and hardship, early child marriage and forced marriage, unjust and unbearable expenses as dowry for marrying the daughter to a boy of good family , trafficking in children and women, gender based and domestic violence, child labor and abuse, wide spread illiteracy, all forms of discrimination and exploitation of children and women as well as lack of social justice have made the living condition of children and women more vulnerable. Most of the women and children living in such appalling conditions in Kapilvastu district in western development region of Nepal are becoming more and more vulnerable to face further crisis in their life due to the following causes long prevalent in Madheshi underprivileged, deprived, marginalized and Dalit and indigenous communities:
• Early Child Marriage and Forced Marriage
• Gender based and Domestic violence
• Child Labor and abuse
• Widespread illiteracy.
• Wide spread practices of irrational and harmful cultural and religious beliefs
• Lack of Access to social justice
• Lack of Access to opportunities for self-employment and development
• Lack of Access to Basic Primary Education.
• Lack of Awareness and Advocacy for combating HIV/AIDS , Trafficking and violence against Children and Women
• Lack of Basic Health Facilities and Services
• Lack of Clean Drinking Water and Sanitation
• Lack of Access to Skill Development and Capacity building towards self Reliance
• Lack of Public Awareness on Children and women rights.
• Lack of coordinated and collaborative responsiveness to the issues of women and children
Most of the rural population especially children and women of socially excluded, marginalized, Dalit and Indigenous and under represented communities in most of the districts in Madhesh region more so in Kapilvastu as well as in many other parts in Nepal have incredibly suffered from the burning issues like Early Child marriage, Child Abuse, Lack of Awareness on Health, Education and Water and Sanitation and Trafficking and violence against women and children. As these problems are subtly inter related in one or the other way, the emergence of any of them affects the whole disrupting peaceful coexistence and social harmony.
Because of illiteracy , impractical harmful practices prevalent in society from time immemorial , all forms of discrimination and violence against women and children and lack of public awareness on these burning issues have contributed to early child marriage that further worsen the life pattern of the boys and girls as well as of entire family rocking social structure and harmony.
The endemic of Early Child Marriage as well as Forced Marriage (mostly beginning as early as 4 to 15 years old) in Kapilvastu as well as in other districts of the Terai in the southern plain belt of Nepal is one of the most serious problems being faced by a large number of people especially the poor, illiterate, underprivileged and the Dalit and indigenous groups. Most cases of early child marriages result in unofficial divorces creating lifelong agony and disagreement, frequent disputes and internal conflict due to unmatched life partner and marriage against their will.
It has another side of serious problems in their life:
• Unwanted pregnancies
• Immature birth
• Unsafe abortion
• Untimely death
• Depression
• Drug addiction
• Deprivation from further education
• Trafficking and violence
Because of free and open border to India touching almost all districts in the Madhesh (the Terai) the southern plain belt stretching from Mechi in the east to Mahakali in the west adjoining border to India in the south ,lack of specific enforceable law to combating trafficking and violence against women and children, poor application of the existing laws and absence of vigilance and or poor vigilance at the most sensitive entry points in the high risk and trafficking prone areas and ineffectiveness and poor functioning of women police cell due to inadequate management and the invisible functioning of the sex traders, drug smugglers as well as professional criminals , the poor and uneducated young women of the remote areas are easily lured to big cities in India by the very prospect of a job and colorful city life ahead.
Therefore it has now become distinctly evident that equitable and sustainable social development will remain a wild goose chase unless and until the women and children are empowered in every way to be able to contribute to civic empowerment towards combating trafficking and violence against women and children that is a crime against humanity. Deeply moved by the cause and inspired by the vision that it is the duty and responsibility of every single human being on earth to stand in solidarity to make active and lasting contribution on our part to building a better world for children and women
where they can have their potential nurtured and developed to the highest possible extent living a life of peace, prosperity, harmony and dignity being an integral part of peaceful coexistence on Earth, Children & Women's Initiative came in to existence on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 in Kapilvastu district as a result of the unceasing and inspiring efforts of a small dynamic team of highly dedicated social workers in the grass roots level. Mission:
To help create a just, equitable and sustainable environment by enhancing collective and collaborative responsiveness where every single child and woman must have abundant opportunities, freedom and access to the fullest development of their potentials deep within towards contributing to the cultivation of peace, prosperity, freedom and happiness in society. Over all Objectives: • Empowerment of Children and Women in equitable and sustainable way
• Protection and Promotion of Children and Women Rights
Specific Objectives: • Children and Women empowerment
• Protection and Promotion of Children and Women right
• Fostering culture of peace , peace education and peace building
• Awareness on basic primary education in the light of universal primary education " education for all"
• Primary health care and water and sanitation
• SRH/ HIV/AIDS and safe motherhood
• Awareness and advocacy on the prevention of child marriage
• Prevention and protection against trafficking and violence on women and Children
Coverage Area: Kapilvastu District Programs implemented • Washing Hands with Soap (Awareness Program) ( in cooperation with District Water Supply and Sanitation Project, Kapilvastu) supported by UNICEF
• Community Awareness Program for the Prevention and Protection against Trafficking and Violence on Children and Women (in cooperation with Saathi and Planete Enfants a French INGO working in Kapilvastu district). Children & Women’s Initiative has been working as the secretariat of this Community based Mechanism for the Prevention of Trafficking and Violence against Women and Children and the Protection of the Victims
• 3 months Sweater Knitting Training for underprivileged women in partnership with District Cottage and Small Industry and Skill Development Office of Government of Nepal
• Strengthening Women’s Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services supported by Village Development Committee ( Local Government)
• Empowering children and women in the grass roots level for the protection and promotion of their rights enhancing their access to Building New Constitution of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Village Development Committee ( Local Government)
Official Status / Recognition\]
• Registered at District Administration Office in Kapilvastu district as a Non-profit making, Non-Governmental Community based Children and Women Development Organization in compliance with the rules and regulations of Social Service Act of Government of Nepal
Membership, Affiliation and Networking
• NGO Federation.
• Social Welfare Council, Nepal
• Community based Mechanism for the Prevention and Protection against Trafficking and Violence on Women and Children.
• NNGT (National Network against Girl Trafficking).
• Accountability Watch Group for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights
• Peace Building and Conflict Management Network
• HRDS Network ( Human Rights Defense System )
• Women Organizations and Groups promoted by District Women Development Office, Government of Nepal
• Gender and Water Alliance, The Netherlands
• Child Savings International, The Netherlands
Human Resources
1. Ram Achal Yadav (BA, BED, PGDVVA)
Trainer in Conflict Transformation, Victim Assistance and Victim Support
2. Ms. Shraddha Bhattarai (MA Sociology)
Trainer in Children and Women Empowerment
Human Rights
3. Ms.Meena Pariyar (B. ED)
Trainer in Proposal Writing, Monitoring & Evaluation
Community Development
4. Ms. Menka Rana Diploma in Nursing, (B Ed-Health)
Trainer in Primary Health Care
SRH / HIV and HEalth Education
5. Tulsiram Yadav
Community Development
Water and Sanitation
6. Chakra B. Chhetri (BL)
Trainer in Legal Advocacy
Gender Mainstreaming
Gender Based Violence
Child Rights
Child Clubs
7. Mrs. Sudha Singh
Trainer in Skill Development (Knitting Sweater, Tailoring, Embroidery and Fabric Painting)
8. Ms. Yasoda Upreti (PGDWS)
Trainer in Facilitation Skill for Community Mobilizers
Case Conferencing, Victim Support
Gender Mainstreaming
9. Ms. Sarita Tamal (Diploma in Human Rights)
Human Rights Activist
10. Mr. Prem Jaiswal (MA in Economics)
Human Rights Activist
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