The UNFPA has launched the project in coordination with the Nepali Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC), and relevant local and provincial governments.

The second phase of the project comes at a crucial time when the coronavirus pandemic has worsened gender inequalities and gender-based violence against women and girls in Nepal.

“We are pleased that the project builds on the successful experiences of Phase I, which demonstrated the importance of strong coordination among all actors on the ground as well as how effective response interventions can be made sustainable,” said Secretary at the MoWCSC Yam Kumari Khatiwada.

“GBV is a genuine crisis in Nepal and globally. It undermines the health, dignity, security, and autonomy of its victims, yet it remains shrouded in a culture of silence. Phase I gave us a lot of hope and encouragement that change is possible with sustained support,” said UNFPA Country Representative in Nepal Lubna Baqi.

In support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Norwegian Embassy in Kathmandu, the project will provide essential services that support safety, health, and access to justice to the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) survivors in 19 municipalities across eight districts in Province 1 and Sudurpaschim.

According to the statement issued by UNFPA, the project aims at supporting 300,000 beneficiaries over the next four years.

In recent years, Nepal has made significant developments in ensuring gender equality and addressing gender-based discrimination and violence against women. However, there is still more work to do to nullify negative social beliefs and unjust practices.

ALSO READ: Nepal Strengthens Fight Against Gender-Based Violence

UNFPA is working in Nepal to address the physical and emotional consequences of gender-based violence through psychosocial assistance, medical treatment, and various programs.

Stay Tuned to NepaliSansar for Latest News!

The post UNFPA Launches Phase II of Project to Address Gender Inequity in Nepal! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

So far, coronavirus has spread to 210 countries and territories and infected 2,481,866 people while claiming 170,455 lives.

The Nepali government is striving to implement the best strategies to stem the spread of coronavirus in the country while rendering socio-economic support to the citizens.

In the need of the hour, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has come forward to demonstrate its commitment in the fight against COVID-19.

The UNFPA has donated over 1,200 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to the Nepali Government on April 20, 2020.

The NPR 30.48 million worth PPE kits were donated by the Chinese Government under the ‘Nepal, China and UNFPA South-South Partnership’ initiative.

The PPE kits include-

• Surgical masks
• N95 masks
• Face shields
• Eye goggles
• Head and shoe covers
• Long-sleeve impervious gowns
• Disposable bags
• Gumboots

“These PPE kits arrived in a timely manner and will greatly help in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank UNFPA and the Government of China,” expressed Bhogendra Dotel, Director of Management Division, DoHS.

“With more people in need of testing and treatment amid the increasing number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, it is critical to protect the frontline health workers. Attention should be given to their work environment as well as their health and psychosocial needs at this time,” said UNFPA Country Representative for Nepal Lubna Baqi.

Apart from the PPE kits, the UNFPA has also donated ‘Dignity Kits’ for women and girls. The kits include 14 different items such as soap, reusable menstrual pads and other essential items to address the hygiene and protection needs of women and girls.

“In time of crisis such as this outbreak, women and girls are at a higher risk of intimate partner violence and other forms of domestic violence,” exclaimed the UNFPA representative.

“Hence, life-saving care and support to gender-based violence survivors, such as the services offered by One-Stop Crisis Management Centres, shelter and safe houses, helplines must be strengthened,” he added.

Stay Tuned to NepaliSansar.com for Latest Updates on COVID-19!

The post UNFPA Donates 1,200 PPE Kits to Nepal appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The UN Under Secretary General and Director General of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Dr Natalia Kanem hailed Nepal’s efforts towards the above sector.

“I appreciate policies introduced and investments made in this connection. This has helped bring impactful improvements among the life of Nepali women and girls, however, a lot has yet to be done in the sector,” said Kanem who is currently in Nepal.

Addressing a press conference at the UN House in Lalitpur, the UNFPA Director General said that she was confident that inclusive provisions in the Nepali constitution would boost growth of the respective sectors.

Kanem pledged to increase her support for safe motherhood, reproductive health, family planning and action against women violence in Nepal. The UN has been supporting Nepal in the aforementioned areas from 1971.

“As we are observing 50th anniversary of UNFA and 25th of International Conference for Population and Development (ICPD), we are planning to launch new programs regarding safe motherhood and family planning acknowledging the achievements we have made so far,” Kanem said.

The ICPD was started in 1994 in Cairo and has been approved by 179 countries including Nepal.

Also Read:-

• Nepal Ranks 73rd on Global Hunger Index, Projects Significant Hunger Reduction Since 2009

The post UNFPA Dir. Gen Applauds Nepal’s Efforts on Safe Motherhood and Related Sectors appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The last three years has seen her transform from a girl to an activist. During this time, she formed nice adolescent girl support groups and on her own has stopped at least a dozen child marriages. Currently leading the Pariwartan Adolescent Girls’ circle, Sangita is teaching 28 girls to stand up for their rights.

Climbing newer heights in her fight against child marriages, she convinced the local government authority to allot a budget to help these girls progress with their empowerment activities.

Early Childhood and the Challenges
Sangita and her family members are from the marginalized Dalit ethnic group, or caste. Being the target of inequality since her childhood, Sangita still has memories of being discriminated based on caste. She says, “I asked my parents so many times: how can such discrimination exist in our society?”

She was also faced with gender-equality, where in she was going to be married while she was still in her 10^th grade. Her parents had stated that they wanted her to get married.

If It were not for her knowledge about the downsides of child marriage, she would have been a victim of child marriage too. She says, “Had I married back then, I would have definitely been out of school”. She had been educated through a program supported by UNFPA and the government’s Women and Children’s Office, which trains community leaders, activists and youth about human rights, as well as the harms of child marriage

In Nepal, Child marriage is a common country. As per statistics, more than a third of women, aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18 years.

The practice can prove very fatal to girls, they either become victims of abuse or suffer with early pregnancies that their bodies will not be able to bear. It also forces them to drop out of their education which is very crucial to their growth. (Image Source: Nepalindata)

Sangita says” I was not against my parents but against their mindset that a girl should be married off at an early age.” “I repeatedly told them that for any girl, education and empowering come before marriage. And they were convinced.”

Empowering Young Girls
Sangita took part in UNFPA-supported leadership trainings in 2013 and 2015. There, she equipped herself with counselling, social and financial skills that she could share with her adolescent girls’ groups.

Rupantaran helps girls develop a range of skills including accounting, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health and civic participation. With support from District Women and Children’s Office and the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Program to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage, Rupantaran has reached more than 5,000 girls like Sangita since 2015.

The knowledge I acquired from this training has helped me give a voice to other girls so that they can take ownership of their lives and develop their leadership skills.”

Contributions to the Community
The girls’ groups she started have made a strong impact on the girls in Bajhang. Many members were able to convince their parents into cancelling or postponing their marriages. They have been empowered to the extent that they intervene whenever child marriages are being arranged in the community.

These girls also conduct peer education sessions in their schools, community rallies and in door-to-door campaigns.

Other Initiatives
They also address Chaupadi, the practice of secluding women during menstruation and that too in unsafe and unhygienic conditions and other practices like gender-based violence and the caste-discrimination.

The Difference Made
Now a graduate, Sangita is still the same passionate young girl she was. She treks five hours a day to and back from her class. Speaking about Sangita, Tita Magar, official at the Women and Children’s Office says, “She is a role model in her community and family, and many girls look up to her.”

Inspiration to the Generations
Sangita has a set a special mark for herself among the women of Nepal and worldwide. Her efforts will continue to be remembered for ages to come.

The post Sangita BK – An Inspiration to Nepali Women Generation appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Demographic dividend generally refers to the period, where a country witnesses decline in fertility and mortality rates.

In terms of demographic dividend, fertility in Nepal declined by 63 percent during 1976-2014 from 6.3 children per woman to 2.3, driven by public inclination towards having smaller families and better access to contraception.

Declining birth rate results in small size of youth-dependent population, thus freeing the working-age population to move for work.

The number of working Nepalese has surpassed the country’s total population and a similar trend is expected to continue till 2047.

Lack of Opportunities for Youth

However, Nepal has witnessed a big pool of young population aged 10-24 years because of demographic changes in the past decades. This group includes adolescents aged 10-19 years and youth aged 15-24 years.

As per the National Population and Housing Census 2011 of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), 32.8 percent of Nepalese comprised of adolescents and youths in 2011.

According to CBS statistics, the proportion of Nepali youth will remain above 25 percent until 2031.

This group of young population will add to the economic development of the country if provided with proper learning and work opportunities, noted the report.

However, finding jobs and migrating for employment remain a challenge for this young population group as most of them are living in rural areas.

In this regard, the report urges that investment in human development, targeting adolescents and youth are most critical to ensure opportunities for youth and spur innovation needed for a sustainable future.

The report noted that investment in education and healthcare should not be limited to men as 53 percent of the working Nepalese in the age group of 15-64 years are women.

“So, the opportunity to enrich the lives of young people, including males & females and enable them to expand their individual choices and shape an innovative & sustainable future is important,” says the report.

The post UN Urges Nepal to Invest in Youth Development appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

In the light of the flood situation in Nepal, the Office of UN Resident Coordinator Nepal has released a report titled ‘Flooding Response Plan (August 2017-February 2018)’, wherein, it sought global attention for supporting flood victims.

Under the plan, the Office aims at offering humanitarian assistance to around 1.7 million victims hit by the recent floods across 35 districts of the country.

As part of relief measures, the Office informed that the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is seeking USD 41.4 million to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to support the flood victims over the coming six months, under various sectors including Health, Nutrition, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Food Security, Protection, Shelter, Livelihood, Education and Early Recovery.

Sector-wise Funding Requirements

• USD 8 million assistance separately for WASH (targeting 800,000 people across 13 districts) & Nutrition (to cover 1 million people across 18 districts) and USD 3 million aid for Education sector (to cover 79,000 children and 1,975 teachers) from UNICEF
• USD 6.85 million Food Aid from World Food Programme (WFP) targeting 300,000 people across 10 districts
• USD 4.5 million from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) targeting 300,000 people across 10 districts
• USD 4.12 million from the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) to support 300,000 population across 5 districts
• USD 3.4 million Early Recovery assistance from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) targeting 1.7 million across 10 districts
• USD 1.78 million Health assistance from WHO targeting 1.7 million population across 30 flood-hit districts
• USD 900,000 Protection assistance from UNFPA targeting 200,000 people across 11 districts
• USD 750,000 assistance from International Organization for Migration (IOM) for Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) targeting 300,000 population across 7 districts
• USD 100,000 from United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office to support Humanitarian agencies and the Government of Nepal targeting 35 affected districts

Initial Rapid Assessment of Flood Situation

The Office, in its Initial Rapid Assessment (IRA) conducted across 28 districts, concluded that 1.7 million population was affected by the flooding in Nepal, with almost 65,000 houses destroyed, 460,000 people displaced, an estimated 19,000 people currently residing in informal displacements sites including schools and some 40 communities remaining inaccessible.

The recent floods have badly hit the country’s critical infrastructure, said the report, informing that around 80 schools across 28 districts (710 damaged) and 10 health posts (64 partially damaged) were destroyed. Around 64,000 hectares of standing crops have also been destroyed in the 10 worst-affected districts of the country.

According to the report, this situation will affect communities’ livelihood and compromise food security, as food stocks have also been destroyed.

In terms of public health, the report informed that nutrition needs have increased since the onset of flooding with the average rate of global acute malnutrition (GAM) now beyond critical levels.

This situation will likely deteriorate further amongst children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women without emergency measures, it added.

According to the report, the governmental efforts including deployment of 27,000 security personnel and civil servants for measures and providing more than USD 11.3 million fund assistance could not completely suffice the humanitarian needs caused by the crisis.

The post #NepalFloods2017: UN Nepal Releases Response Plan, Seeks USD 41 Million Immediate Grant appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

As part of her visit, Koirala distributed various relief materials to the flood victims on behalf of UNFPA.

Post the visit, Koirala took part in a press meet organized by UNFPA in the district headquarters Gaur, where she urged the Government of Nepal to undertake rehabilitation measures for the displaced families at the earliest.

“Our organization is ready to extend all possible support to relieve flood victims from their present woes,” said Koirala.

UNFPA Country Director Julia Valisci expressed UNFPA’s readiness to work in coordination with the Government of Nepal.

Regional Director Narendra Mishra said they are committed to provide necessary relief measures to the women victims.

CPN-MC Donates Rs 3.5 Million to Flood Victims

CPN Maoist Centre’s lawmakers yesterday donated their one-month salaries to the PM Disaster Relief Fund in support to the victims of floods and landslides.

According to Party Chief Whip Rekha Sharma, Party Chair and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal handed over a sum of Rs 3.5 million to the Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba yesterday.

Crops Worth Rs 300 Million Destroyed in Saptari

Meanwhile, the Saptari District Agriculture Development Office in its recent survey informed that the floods have inundated at least 15 acres of arable land and 20 acres of paddy field in Saptari District.

According to Senior Officer at the District Agriculture Development Office Bhagirath Yadav, floods damaged paddy and vegetable crops worth Rs 250 million and fish ponds worth Rs 50 million, thus resulting in Rs 300 million worth loss.

The post #NepalFloods2017: UNFPA Ready for Possible Support, Says Manisha Koirala appeared first on Nepali Sansar.