CANADA NEPAL GENDER IN ORGANIZATIONS

Section I: Introduction

2.Introduction to CNGO

Canada Nepal Gender in Organizations project (CNGO)¹ supported NGO capacity building and district linkage strengthening for gender equality and good governance. The project has strengthened the capacity of twelve participating NGOs (PNGOs) in six districts – Bara, Sarlahi and Mahottari in the central terai and Surkhet, Dadeldhura and Doti in the mid and far west regions – to serve as Gender Resource Organizations (GROs) for their district. Implementation commenced later in one additional district, Kaski, in August 2002, with six NGOs.

These PNGOs (listed on the back inside cover of this report) contribute to gender sensitive development by providing technical services, training, advice and leadership for gender equality, as well as implementing gender integrated programs to communities, local government and other NGOs.

CNGO also implemented programs to improve the district enabling environment for gender change and NGO collaboration. CNGO facilitated collaborative relations among NGOs and local government with the formation of a DDC committee to provide a platform for coordination and collaboration. A coordinating and monitoring committee to support gender equality was established also in several of the CNGO working districts. Other civil society initiatives were designed to nurture a supportive environment for NGOs and like-minded organizations advocating for gender equality.

Several initiatives at central level supported and linked with the district work:

an NGO database, operated by the Social Welfare Council (SWC)² , to provide yearly data on NGO programs for policy and program analysis, with a multi-stakeholder management committee,
an extensive consultation process leading to a new draft NGO Act,
a committee including central HMG Ministries to advise and liaise on the DDC-NGO committees and Gender Equality Committees at district level, and
strategic planning support to the SWC.

Central level management committees guided and advised on these activities. These interventions at the central level facilitated a dialogue on district level results and informed national level policy – makers about district implementation issues in a policy feedback loop.

Reference #1 of Section 6 is a diagram representing the project components. It illustrates the program linkages at the NGO, district and national levels.