What Is the Core Issue?
Gender discrimination and social exclusion have been prevalent problems of Nepalese society. The Government of Nepal has long been addressing these problems by establishing a ministry and a department in charge, adopting national policies, forming national- and local-level committees, appointing GFPs (gender focal points) in ministries and agencies, earmarking some of local budget for women and excluded groups, and so on.
However, in spite of those well-intended policies and measures, the condition and position of women and excluded groups in their daily life have been very slow to improve.
Why?
There can be many reasons to cite. Among them, one root cause is this: decision-making in the lowest levels of local government (Ward, VDC, Municipality in particular) is not democratic. The most disadvantaged groups--poor and illiterate women and excluded groups--are routinely denied participation in the decision-making process or sidelined, even if present in the meetings, keeping silent throughout. This common situation is very serious in view of development planning and project administration in local bodies where financial benefits are distributed in the form of development projects. As long as this situation remains intact, no policy, no budget provision, no committee can achieve its intended goal in the real world.
What Should We Do?
Gender mainstreaming and social inclusion can be accomplished in Nepal only when democratic decision-making is practiced at every level and in every aspect of local governance.
This particularly applies to the VDC-level project selection, which decides how VDC budget is annually allocated among beneficiaries. Combined with the legal provision that all project proposals should come from residents themselves (User Groups, Community-Based Organizations, etc.), undemocratic decision-making practically prohibits those people in the most disadvantaged groups from receiving any benefits they are entitled to.
We should change this undemocratic practice. At the same time, we should encourage those excluded people to come out and should advocate their needs. We should democratize the decision-making process regarding VDC project selection on the one side and, on the other, give support and encouragement to those who have been so far excluded from the process.
How?
Such a change can never take place just by giving “one-shot training” to those people concerned. Learning by doing is the only way to ensure such a societal change to happen and be sustained.
They have to practice a new, democratic decision-making in the real situation screening, prioritizing and selecting real project proposals. They have to learn how to develop proposals in a gender-responsive and socially inclusive way. They have to learn how to select proposals in a democratic and transparent way. They acquire those practical skills all through “on-the-job training.”
GeMSIP provides the opportunities for VDC people to practice a democratic decision-making process concerning VDC project selection, together with extensive technical support and some funds to finance the democratically selected proposals.
Principles of Pilot Project
GeMSIP Pilot Project is based on three principles:
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To follow the national strategy and guidelines on GM/SI |
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To follow the development process stipulated by the Ministry of Local Development |
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To follow the timetable specified by the Ministry of Local Development |
Pilot VDCs
GESI Implementation Committee of Syangja and Morang have selected three VDCs each as GeMSIP Pilot VDCs. They are:Syangja District
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Phedikhola VDC |
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Biruwa Archale VDC |
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Jagatradevi VDC |
Morang District
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Tandi VDC |
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Tetariya VDC |
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Pokhariya VDC |
The Pilot VDC has following missions to accomplish:
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It must carry out the democratic decision-making process at VDC and Ward levels |
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It must advocate, encourage and support women and disadvantaged groups |
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It must make all development projects gender responsive and socially inclusive |
Organizational Structure
To implement Pilot Project, following organizations have been set up in each Pilot VDC:
GeMSIP Integrated Planning Committee (GeMSIP IPC)
A VDC-level committee to implement GESI-related activities and supervise GeMSIP Pilot Project in VDC. Newly created in parallel to the official VDC Integrated Planning Committee (VDC IPC) to ensure gender equality and social inclusiveness in the membership. However, the two IPCs are working together under GeMSIP and planned to be integrated into one in the due course (integration has already been completed in two VDCs in Syangja as of February 2011).
Syangja and Morang used slightly different guidelines to appoint the members.
Guidelines adopted by Syangja District
| 1 | VDC Chairperson/Person who is assigned to perform the role of VDC Chairperson | 1 | Coordinator |
| 2. | Representatives from political parties actively working in VDC | 1 | Member |
| 3. | Representative from NGOs working in VDC | 1 | Member |
| 4. | Representative from community organizations | 1 | Member |
| 5. | Representative from women organizations | 1 | Member |
| 6. | Representative from Dalit organizations | 1 | Member |
| 7. | Representative from indigenous/ethnic groups | 1 | Member |
| 8. | Representative from people with disability | 1 | Member |
| 9. | Representative from child clubs | 1 | Member |
| 10. | Other members as appropriate | As many | Members |
| Total | 15~19 | ||
- Ensure the organization has representation
from all nine wards of the VDC
- Ensure the representation from all caste
and ethnic groups
- In total at least 33% of the members should
be women
Guidelines adopted by Morang
District
| 1 | VDC Secretary/VDC Chairperson/Person who is assigned to perform the role of VDC Chairperson | 1 | Coordinator |
| 2. | Representatives from political parties actively working in VDC* | 1 per party | Member |
| 3. | Representative from NGOs working in VDC | 1 | Member |
| 4. | Representative from community organizations | 1 | Member |
| 5. | Representative from women organizations | 1 | Member |
| 6. | Representative from Dalit organizations | 1 | Member |
| 7. | Representative from indigenous/ethnic groups | 1 | Member |
| 8. | Representative from marginalized groups/OBC Committee if applicable | 1 | Member |
| 9. | Representative from PWD (people with disability) organizations | 1 | Member |
| 10. | Representative from children’s network | 1 | Member |
| Total | 11~15 | ||
- Representatives from political parties should be women
- Ensure the organization has representation from all nine wards of the VDC
- Ensure the representation from all caste and ethnic groups
- In total at least 50% of the members should be women
The current membership is summarized in the table below:
| Syangja | Biruwa Archale VDC | Fedikhola VDC | Jagatadevi | |||||||
| Category | No. | % | Pop* | No. | % | Pop* | No. | % | Pop* | |
| No. of Total Members | 17 | 100% | 17 | 100% | 19 | 100% | ||||
| Sex | Women | 7 | 41% | 55% | 7 | 41% | 56% | 9 | 47% | 51% |
| Brahmin/ Chhetri | 8 | 47% | 28% | 11 | 65% | 52% | 6 | 32% | 39% | |
| Dalit | 3 | 18% | 10% | 3 | 18% | 20% | 2 | 11% | 7% | |
| Adibasi Janajati | 6 | 35% | 61% | 3 | 18% | 28% | 11 | 58% | 53% | |
| OBC | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0% | |
| Politician | PP Representative | 3 | 18% | 4 | 24% | 6 | 32% | |||
| Morang | Pokhariya VDC | Tetariya VDC | Tandi VDC | |||||||
| Category | No. | % | Pop* | No. | % | Pop* | No. | % | Pop* | |
| 15 | 100% | 15 | 100% | 14 | 100% | |||||
| Sex | Women | 9 | 60% | 49% | 9 | 60% | 50% | 8 | 57% | 51% |
Ethnicity/ |
Brahmin/ Chhetri | 1 | 7% | 2% | 1 | 7% | 11% | 3 | 21% | 22% |
| Dalit | 2 | 13% | 12% | 1 | 7% | 6% | 3 | 21% | 12% | |
| Adibasi Janajati | 11 | 73% | 59% | 12 | 80% | 76% | 8 | 57% | 65% | |
| OBC | 1 | 7% | 8% | 1 | 7% | 5% | 0 | 0% | 0% | |
| Political | PP Representive | 6 | 40% | 5 | 33% | 4 | 29% | |||
Ward Committee
A Ward-level committee to coordinate and facilitate development activities in Ward. Newly established under GeMSIP in the absence of the official Ward Committee.
To ensure democratic and participatory establishment of Ward Committee, GeMSIP took care that all households in the Ward were informed of a mass meeting and that committee members were selected according to the guidelines decided in advance by GESI IC. All 54 Ward Committees in the six Pilot VDCs have been established by the end of January 2011.
The guidelines adopted by GESI IC of Syangja District:
| 1 | Representative from settlements (at least 50% women) | 2 | Member |
| 2. | Representative from CBOs/User Groups (at least 50% women) | 2 | Member |
| 3. | Representative from women organization | 1 | Member |
| 4. | Representative from Dalit organization or community | 1 | Member |
| 5. | Representative from Adibashi Janjati organization or community | 1 | Member |
| 6. | Other members as appropriate | If necessary | Member |
| Total | 5~9 | ||
- At least 33% of the members should be women
- Member composition should reflect the Ward’s current population structure & composition of caste & ethnic groups
- Participation of disabled people should be ensured
- One Coordinator shall be elected from among the members
The guidelines adopted by GESI IC of Morang District
| 1 | Representative from all settlements | Maximum 4 | Member |
| 2. | Representative from community organizations/ User Groups | 1 | Member |
| 3. | Representative from women organizations | 1 | Member |
| 4. | Representative from Dalit community/organization | 1 | Member |
| 5. | Representative from Adibashi Janjati community/organization | 1 | Member |
| 6. | Representative from marginalized/OBC (if applicable) | 1 | Member |
| 7. | Person/s representing the VDC-level GeMSIP IPC from the ward | Maximum 2 | Member |
| 8. | Representative from single women | 1 | Member |
| 9. | Representative from disabled persons | 1 | Member |
| Total | 9~13 | ||
Mechanism of Pilot Project
Figure below shows the overall mechanism of GeMSIP
Pilot Project.
Timetable
GeMSIP Pilot Project is being prepared and implemented
according to the following timetable:
Nov~Dec Selection of the Pilot VDCs
Dec Orientation for the Pilot VDCs
[2010]
Jan Recruitment of Facilitators
Feb Facilitator training
April~May Establishment of GeMSIP IPCs
May Second Facilitator training
May~Aug Social Resource Mapping in all Pilot VDCs (household
survey)
Aug Training on VDC planning
Dec Establishment of Ward Committees
Jan~Feb Second training on VDC planning
Feb Third Facilitator training
Feb~March Ward orientation meetings
March Proposal writing by interested User Groups/Community-based Organizations
March Proposal prioritization by Ward Committee
March Proposal selection by GeMSIP IPC
April First disbursement of funds (1st cycle starts)
May Submission of Progress Report by implementers
June Second disbursement of funds
Aug 15 Submission of Financial Report by implementers (1st cycle ends)
Sept Preparation for the 2nd cycle begins
