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GOOD PRACTICES: Women Development Program

Dinesh Hari Adhikary Secretary Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare Government of Nepal

The history of Periodic Development Plan in Nepal has almost reached about six decades. Government of Nepal has very recently approved its 13th Periodic Development Plan. However, Women Development Program was explicitly spelled out and started from the sixth periodic plan, 1980-1985. For the first time in 1982, Production Credit for Rural Women (PCRW) was launched as pilot program in five districts for the uplift of womens economic and social condition. Since then, Nepal has witnessed great change ensuring greater and social security for women and women have been central to this. Now, Women Development Program has been extended all over the country. Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) with Department of Women and Children (DWC) and 75 District Women and Children Offices (WCO) has been working for this. Gender is a common and cross-cutting issue. However, under MoWCSW, Women Development Program with the vision/aim of reaching equitable and prosperous society has its own set strategy as following: 1. Mainstreaming.

2. Empowerment. 3. Inclusion.

In achieving the equitable and prosperous society, Nepal government has made some legal reforms and running women development programs accordingly. From our experience, it is showed that laws have power to shape society by creating new norms and by bringing social change. The Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007 has ensured the equal right of ancestral property irrespective of gender. Every sons and daughters shall have equal right of ancestral property. To drive implementation of this, among others, Government of Nepal has adopted following provisions and actions ensuring uplift of womens economic condition. It may be taken as the example of good practices in maintaining gender equality:

1. Gender Responsive Budget: In 2007, the Ministry of Finance introduced gender responsive budgeting system by forming Gender Responsive Budget Committee comprising members from concerned ministries including Nation Planning Commission. Spending categorized as directly responsive to women was 11% in 2007 while introducing this system. It has gone up 21.7 % in this current fiscal year 2013/14, an increment of almost 100% in six years. Government has developed indicators to track the expenditure on gender equality which ensures it to increase in the days to come.

2. Exemption from Land Registration Fee: In 2008, tax exemption was introduced for land registered in womens name. The tax exemption was 10 % in 2008. This has been increased to 25 % in cities and 40 % in rural areas depending on its remoteness now. According to 2001census, the households having some land in their female members name was 11 % which has reached to 35 % by 2009. This measure has shown the increasing trend of ownership of women on land property. 3. Institutionalization for Economic self-reliance of women: There may be many types of approaches and programs for economic self-reliance. Women development is meant fundamentally a personality development of the women which covers many things. However, economic self-reliance remains pivot in the list. Women development programs focus, inter alia, on economic selfreliance thru micro finance. It starts from identifying target population who is obviously from extremely poor, marginalized and under privileged women. Once the target population is identified, they are brought to groups and oriented. Working committees are formed in different groups and trained. Every member of the groups is encouraged to save any amount of money as per their collective decision. Mobilization of saving is core in the way to their economic self-reliance. Ultimately groups are federated to convert it into a potential and viable cooperative. It may take some more time due to their poor education, economic, socio-culture and political awareness. However, it can be federated and institutionalized registering into Cooperatives for economic

self-reliance which help and push to solve their other problems at the same time. This has confirmed the sustainability of the program as well. Thus, from the very inception of Women Development Program that is Production Credit for Rural Women (PCRW), in Nepal has been conducted putting the economic self-reliance first. Success results have been proved these days. Results: (2066/67-2009/10) 1. Groups formed.. 2. Women involved 3. Women Committees. 97240 524264 8936

4. Registered Womens Cooperatives 1245 5. Cooperatives in process of registration. 295 6. Collective Savings. 7. Revolving Fund (Donation Development Partners).. by NPRs.1060263856 the Government and NPRs. 106459888 75 3045 37 18076

8. Program Districts. 9. Village Development Committees 10. Municipalities 11. Wards

However, many challenges remain ahead. Government will not be satisfied with this and continue its efforts to maintain substantive gender equality with these types of good practices.

Thanks