EMBASSY KATHMANDU'S S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSALS

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000142

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM NP
SUBJECT: EMBASSY KATHMANDU'S S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSALS

REF: SECSTATE 132094

The following are, in rank order, Embassy Kathmandu's
proposals submitted to the Secretary's Office of Global
Women's Issues Small Grants Initiative:


1. Reconciliation: Voices and Experiences of
Conflict-Affected Women (Himalayan Human Rights Monitors -
HimRights)

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Background
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The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord in November
2006 brought a formal end to the decade-long armed conflict
between Maoist rebels and government forces, during which
some 13,000 people lost their lives. Countless others
suffered physical, emotional and psychological injuries. All
segments of society were victimized, but the conflict took a
disproportionate toll on poor and/or socially excluded
members of society. One such vulnerable group was the women
and girls caught between the warring parties. Some women
joined the Maoists due to their political ideology and for
perceived social justice; however, others were forcefully
recruited for which they suffered physically and
psychologically. The Maoists forced women to provide them
with food and lodging, and state security forces imprisoned,
tortured and killed them for it. Sexual abuse and rape was
one of the favored tools of war. As Secretary Clinton has
noted, the use of sexual violence is a "crime against
humanity," and all those who abet such violence and permit
impunity to continue "harm not only individuals, families,
villages and regions, but shred the very fabric that weaves
us together as human beings."

The social fabric of Nepal remains weakened because most of
the women and girls who were raped or sexually abused do not
want to speak about it for fear of losing dignity and
respect. In Nepal, women's chastity and sexual faithfulness
are of immense importance for family honor and reputation. In
most cases, girls and women who are sexually abused or raped
are viewed with contempt and blamed. As a result, there is a
culture of silence amongst victimized women. Carrying these
painful secrets seriously affects the women's well-being.
However, these effects are poorly documented. Shame,
self-contempt and hate may consume women and cause them to
resort to violence themselves. In a recent workshop
conducted by Himalayan Human Rights Monitors (HimRights),
survivors stated that they wanted revenge and, in the wake of
government inaction, wanted to take violent measures to
address their needs.

A UN staffer told HimRights she had worked in many
conflict-affected countries, but has never seen a situation
comparable to the one in Nepal, where the silence about the
conflict-affected, particularly women and girls who were
sexually abused and raped, is deafening. It is absolutely
critical that programs that support and give voice to victims
of gender-based violence be implemented. An essential
element would be the systematic recording of war-time acts of
violence against women and children.

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Project Summary
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Women and girls were one of the hardest hit groups during the
armed conflict; unfortunately, their needs have neither been
highlighted nor addressed. Even though documentation of
human rights violation against women has increased,
violations against the conflict-affected remain ignored.
This project would begin documenting the magnitude of
gender-based violence cases that took place during the
conflict. The aim is to give women a platform to be visible
and heard, create the empathetic environment needed for
reconciliation and collect the evidence necessary to force
policy makers to take the issues and concerns of
conflict-affected women seriously. Multiple activities will
be undertaken over 14 months to achieve these goals,
including compiling hundreds of case profiles, creating radio
programming, organizing a national policy dialogue, and
conducting media sensitivity training.

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Project Description
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Objectives:
- Highlight and mainstream the prevalence and magnitude of
gender-based human rights violations;
- Support women victims of armed conflict;
- Create a platform for conflict-affected women to voice
their issues and experiences;
- Hold stakeholders accountable for past human rights
violations;
- Create an empathetic environment for women affected by the
armed conflict;
- Promote the meaningful participation of conflict-affected
women in the peace process; and
- Make conflict-affected women aware of transitional justice
mechanisms at both the national and international level.

Activities:

- Documentation of case stories of women affected by armed
conflict. Collect 300 profiles of women affected by armed
conflict in three districts severely affected by the conflict
(Kailali, Bardia, and Bara). There will be 60 in-depth case
studies, focusing on the use of sexual abuse and rape, which
will further illuminate the magnitude and impact of conflict
on women. This data will be used to more effectively lobby
and advocate with policymakers and civil society
organizations for policies and programs that support
conflict-affected women; and to ensure that well-intended
policies and programs are effective. This information will
be submitted to the National Human Rights Commission, UN
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the
Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, and the Ministry of
Women, Children and Social Welfare to solicit support and
action and to influence the draft National Plan of Action.
This information could be used as evidence for the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission.

Process: Identification of the victims will take place during
the first quarter, and will be based on existing HimRights
Lifeline reports, recent research reports, information and
data from relevant organizations and human rights network. A
profile format will be prepared, and the field team will be
given an orientation on how to document cases.

- Publish a graphic book that shares in an anonymous way the
experiences of women survivors of sexual abuse during the
armed conflict. This graphic book will be based on the
realities and experiences of 60 women from the three
districts selected for documentation and other conflict
affected districts. The story told in the book will address
the impact of conflict on women, as well as what justice,
restitution, and reconciliation means for them and existing
mechanisms. The graphic book will be a tool to voice these
women's realities to a larger audience anonymously, so that
victims are protected from potential humiliation and contempt
from society for being the victims of rape and other gender
based violence. The process of making this book is also
intended to be a healing experience for the survivors, build
their self-image, and purge victims of a desire to take
revenge. (Note. HimRights, with financial support from
UNICEF, developed a similar book based on the experience of
conflict-affected children, which was very well-received.)

Process: The graphic book process will take place between the
2nd and 4th quarters. As women will have many
responsibilities, the project timing will be planned in
consultation with the women. A stipend will be provided as
most women must work for their sustenance.

Phase I (7 days, 50 participants): This pictorial book will
be based on the individual stories of survivors woven into
one story. They can share their stories in drawings, oral
stories, poems, and songs. The sessions in this phase include
drawing classes and seminars on the root causes of conflict;
structural violence; victim and revenge cycles; importance of
psycho-social counseling; individual experiences and its
impact; and justice, restitution reconciliation for them.
Selection criteria will be an inclusive process that takes
geographic and ethnic diversity, as well as a diversity of
stories related to the conflict into consideration.

Phase II (7 days 20 participants): Fine tune the story and
work on the graphic book done during Phase 1. Women will be
selected based upon their skill in illustration, dialogue,
and story writing in a participatory process.

Phase III (7 days 8 participants): During this phase, the
graphic book will be finalized, the story and illustrations
will be edited and gaps in the story will be worked out.

- Develop a national radio program for women to share their
experiences. Women's voices, realities and experiences will
be recorded for a radio program. The stories told by the
women will underscore the need to take immediate action on
reparation and restitution. Furthermore, they will generate
empathy for survivor of gender-based violence during the
conflict. Radio is the most popular communications medium in
Nepal, which would make the stories accessible even in remote
areas.

Process: Compelling stories will be selected from the 300
profiles documented (Activity 1) and the comic book process
(Activity 2),and radio programs will be produced based on
them. Information on the national and international
transitional justice mechanisms will be incorporated into the
content of the program as well.

- Organize an exhibition of artwork, poetry, stories created
by women survivors. The four-day exhibition, which would
coincide with either International Women's Day or
International Human Rights Day, is intended to highlight
violence during the armed conflict and generate empathy for
survivors.

- Hold a national-level policy dialogue. The two-day
National Policy Dialogue (NPD) will bring together women
affected by conflict with officials from key policymakers.
This will be a platform for survivors of gender-based
violence to interact with policy makers at the highest level.
The dialogue will focus on the issues, problems, concerns,
and realities of women affected by conflict, and commitments
with respect to policies, programs, and the National Plan of
Action will be sought from the relevant ministries.
Attendees will include participants from 5 regions from
activities 1, 2, and 3. Key stakeholders will be invited to
participate.

Process: The first day will be orientation for the
participants to share their issues and concerns and how to
raise them systematically and effectively. In the second day
participants will raise their issues and concerns and
dialogue with the representatives of the Ministry of Peace
and Reconstruction; the Ministry of Women, Children and
Social Welfare; the Ministry of Law; the Ministry of Health;
the Ministry of Finance; National Women's Commission;
National Human Rights Commission; National Planning
Commission; Constituent Assembly members/Parliamentarians,
and TRC members. The event will take place during the 4th
quarter.

- Media training to sensitize journalists. Thirty
journalists will be brought together for training to ensure
gender- sensitive reporting especially regarding gender-based
violence during the conflict. The training will examine the
root causes of the conflict, what women faced during the
conflict, and how to report stories sensitively. The training
will also emphasize the importance of the media in creating
an empathetic environment for victims of gender-based
violence and ensuring that victims have access to justice.

Process: The three-day training will take place between the
second and third quarters.

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Monitoring & Evaluation
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Local offices will conduct periodic visits and central
offices will visit bi-annually. Successful compensation
cases and changes in policies will be documented. An
external evaluator will do the social audit. Two measures
will be used to assess the program's effectiveness. First,
the direct impact of programs for survivors will be assessed.
Among survivors, we hope to see the building of friendship
and trust, reduction in the need for revenge, increased
forgiveness, smoother reintegration, transition beyond
victimhood, healed physical injuries, positive self-image and
increased confidence. Second, we will assess the degree to
which the stories of conflict-affected women create an
empathetic environment regarding gender-based violence, more
generally, and legal and policy reform that is sensitive to
gender-based violence.

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Budget
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Documentation at District Level
$11,729.73

Graphic Book on voices and experience of women in armed
conflict
$ 35,154.05

Radio Program
$ 11,486.49

National Policy Dialogue
$ 4,209.42

Exhibition artwork
$ 1,716.22

Follow Up, Monitoring and Evaluation
$ 4,432.43

Administration
$ 26,297.30

Overhead Cost
$ 4,751.28

Total
$ 99,776.96

(See note at end of cable.)

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HimRights Organizational Profile
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Mission Statement: To promote justice, equity, and social
inclusion to ensure the basic human rights of marginalized
people.

History of the Organization: Himalayan Human Rights Monitors
(HimRights) is a non-governmental, non-partisan, and
non-profit organization committed to defending the rights of
poor, marginalized and socially excluded communities and
individuals, with a special focus on women, children and
youth. HimRights works in affiliation with major national and
international human rights institutions, pursuing a
three-fold approach of (1) monitoring and reporting; (2)
responding to human rights violations; and (3) advocating and
training for policy change, influence, awareness raising, and
capacity improvement to cope with and respond to changing
human rights dynamics in Nepal. HimRights was informally
formed in the mid-1990s and was officially registered in

1999. The current team consists of lawyers, teachers,
journalists, anthropologists, conflict and development
specialists, social workers and human rights activists.
Together, these individuals bring decades of individual and
collective professional experience to HimRights, enabling
HimRights to work effectively in the areas of human rights,
trafficking, good governance, conflict mitigation,
reconciliation, and peace building.

Organizational Capacity: HimRights has capable and committed
human resources from various disciplines. Their team has a
conflict transformation and peace building expert, human
rights defenders, anthropologists, sociologists, journalists
(electronic/print),social mobilizers, trainers, and lawyers.
HimRights has offices in 7 districts (Makawanpur, Bara,
Ratahat, Parsa, Banke, Sarlahi and Saptari),a central office
in Kathmandu with a full-time staff of 36 people, 738 members
of Surveillance Groups (Makawanpur and Bara) and Village
Mediation Groups (Banke) at the village level, 12 Focal
Points/part time staffs in Dhankuta, Saptari, Dhanusha,
Kavre, Sindhupalchwok, Maygdi, Kapivastu, Rolpa, Dang,
Kailalia, Achham and Mugu. Well-trained, locally inclusive
staffs and field monitors for documentation of human rights
violation are also part of the HimRights team. Moreover,
HimRights has maintained a good network and coordination with
concerned agencies during and after the armed conflict.

HimRights affiliated networks: Partnerships for Protecting
Children in Armed Conflict; National Working Committee on
Disappearances; Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Coordination
Committee; Human Rights Alliance; NGO Federation; Alliance
Against Trafficking of Women in Nepal; Beyond Beijing
Committee; 1612 Task Force Monitoring & Reporting Mechanism;
South Asia Women's Watch; and Asia Pacific Women's Watch.

Programming Experience: HimRights has successfully
implemented a range of community and national-based programs
to advance human rights, gender justice, women's empowerment,
child rights, campaign for peace, genuine and participatory
democracy, and people-centered development. As such, the
HimRights team is confident in its capacity to implement the
proposed project in a way that is fiscally responsible,
educational for key stakeholders and the general population,
and empowering for the women that are involved in the
project.



2. Combating Gender-Based Violence, Strengthening Human
Rights Protections (Utsaha Nepal)

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Background
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Human trafficking and gender-based violence (GBV) are
serious, widespread problems in Nepal, the magnitude of which
is increasing. It is estimated 10,000 to 12,000 women and
girls are trafficked every year to India and Gulf countries
for commercial sexual exploitation. Thousands of others are
trafficked domestically each year for the same purpose.
Among the many deleterious effects of this trafficking is
exposure to HIV/AIDS. Many people point to the high level
of GBV in Nepal as the chief factor behind the recent
emergence of suicide as the leading cause of death of women
15 to 49. The vulnerability of women and girls is fueled by
gender discrimination and a lack of awareness, economic
opportunities and livelihood skills.
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Project Summary
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This project aims to reduce gender-based violence (GBV),
particularly human trafficking, and strengthen human rights
protections for women and girls, while creating economic
opportunities that will reduce their vulnerability to GBV
It will focus on six trafficking-prone districts where there
is a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. The project will be
carried out by Utsaha Nepal, a non-governmental organization
whose membership comprises women who are trafficking
survivors and/or HIV-positive.

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Project Description
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This project, which will target the most at-risk populations,
has two inter-dependent components. The first is aimed at
reducing GBV, particularly trafficking, and the second will
focus on strengthening human rights protections for women and
girls. Activities include:

- Increasing public awareness about both gender-based
discrimination and violence and the existing legal
protections against them. (Note: In 2009, the Government of
Nepal enacted a comprehensive domestic violence law and
developed a national action plan for Year Against
Gender-Based Violence, 2010.) This will be done through
street dramas and the publication and distribution of
pamphlets, posters and other material.

- Providing counseling services for women and children
affected by GBV. Trained counselors will be hired, and their
services will be linked to referral services for possible
legal prosecutions.

- Conducting health camps, in partnership with other
organizations, with an emphasis on HIV-screening.

- Conducting leadership training for women. Resource persons
from various backgrounds will be contacted to provide
leadership and capacity-building training to the target
population.

The second component aims to provide livelihood skills and
economic opportunities to women and girls whose
impoverishment makes them vulnerable to GBV. Increased
economic opportunity builds self-esteem, which in turn leads
women and girls to advocate for wider rights. Activities
include:

- Conducting life-skill training programs linked to
micro-financing. The micro-credit loans will ensure that
learned skills are transformed into sustainable
entrepreneurship.

These activities will be carried out over 18 months in six
trafficking-prone districts that also have a high HIV
infection rate: Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk, Dhading,
Kavrepalanchowk, and Chitwan.

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Performance Measures of Desired Outcomes
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Reducing GBV, strengthening human rights protections of women
and children, and creating greater economic opportunities are
outcomes that are not immediately perceptible, and as such
makes it difficult to establish meaningful performance
measures.

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Budget
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The total budget for this project is $54,198. (See note at
end of cable.)

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Utsaha Nepal Organizational Profile
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Utsaha Nepal was established in 2008 with the broad mission
of combating human trafficking, safeguarding women's rights
through empowerment, and liberating HIV/AIDS survivors from
social stigma and discrimination. Membership of the
Kathmandu-based group comprises women who are trafficking
survivors and/or HIV-positive. Their background will
facilitate connection with the project's target population.
Utsaha Nepal was set up with support and guidance from Maiti
Nepal, the largest and most successful anti-trafficking
organization in Nepal. As a nascent organization, it is
still building its technical and management capacity. Maiti
Nepal, which has successfully executed a number of USG-funded
programs, has pledged support for this project.

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Grant Management
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Post's Economic Officer, whose portfolio includes human
trafficking and gender-based violence, will manage these two
grants in close cooperation with USAID's subject experts.
The EO will also work with USAID's Office of Programs and
Projects Development to ensure that these projects, if
funded, complement, wherever possible, other USG-funded
projects.

Note: Post will forward detailed budgets for both projects
via e-mail.
CAMP