£1 million Jo Cox Memorial Fund grant to increase participation in politics for marginalised women in Nepal
By Bridie Taylor
In 2015 Nepal adopted a new constitution, giving women the right to proportional representation in all levels of governance. The new constitution also restructured the country into new regions – and therefore created new seats in local government. Womankind Worldwide and partners Women for Human Rights (WHR), the Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO) and Tewa are seizing this historic moment to increase participation in politics of the most marginalised women in Nepal.
Through the Participation and Voice for Excluded Women in Nepal (PAVE) project, we will work with our partners across Sudurpashchim Pradesh, also known as Province 7, the most far western province established by the new constitution of Nepal in 2015, to address the lack of meaningful and equal participation, leadership and influence of women, particularly the most marginalised women, in decision-making in local and provincial level governance structures and communities.
Despite the 2015 constitution introducing gender quotas ensuring 33% of all parliamentary seats and 40% of local elections seats are reserved for women, in Province 7 only two mayor/chair positions of 54 are held by women. This lack of women in key decision making positions poses considerable challenges for elected women to meaningfully engage and indicative of the degree to which political parties, the public, and women themselves, support women leadership.
Through the project, partners will support women to strengthen their confidence in taking on leadership roles and responsibilities, as well as be supported to enhance capacity and resource management skills to take an active role in the governance and livelihood of their communities. Additionally, as part of Womankind’s strategy to strengthen women’s movements, partners will collaborate with fellow women’s movement actors in Nepal to challenge the harmful social norms that prevent women from fully participating in social and political life.
The project will be funded with UK aid from the UK government, thanks to a grant from the Jo Cox Memorial Fund, which was announced at an event in London on 3rd March 2020.
