Power Girls – gender equality and child rights in Sindhupalchowk, Nepal

Partner organisation: Children and Women in Social Services and Human Rights (CWISH)

Project location: Balefi and Sunkosi, Sindhupalchowk

The project addresses gender equality and discrimination through improving child rights, especially of vulnerable girls, whose rights are often undermined through harmful discriminatory practices, leading to school dropouts, child marriage and trafficking. The project takes a human rights progressive approach, creating systems-level dialogue between rights-holders and duty bearers, raising their capacity, empowering the girls themselves as well as improving child protection mechanisms and school environments.

s implementing partner Children and Women in Social Services and Human Rights (CWISH) is an expert organization on child rights and child protection.

With this project, Interpedia and CWISH wish to see that vulnerable girls in Nepal are empowered to be active advocates of their rights, with their agenda recognized and supported by communities and authorities. To achieve this long-term impact, the project aims, in four years (2023-26) to ensure that:

1) Ward and Rural Municipal -level policies & structures enhance gender equality, non-discrimination and child rights to protection and participation
2) Communities and schools in two project Rural Municipalities better safeguard child rights, as well as non-discrimination, gender equality and inclusion
3) Girls in project rural municipalities are better able to safeguard their rights, non-discrimination and gender equality

Project will take place in all 8 wards of Balefi and 7 wards of Sunkoshi, covering all 31 schools with classes above 5th grade.

Final beneficiaries are 1600 school-going and 200 out-of-school girls, especially vulnerable like Dalits or girls with disabilities. In most activities, the leading role is given to girls and women.

Project works with elected women representatives of wards and rural municipalities, officials in Rural Municipal Education and Social Affairs Offices, teachers, School Management Committees, Parent-Teacher Associations, parents, community leaders and CBOs active in the areas.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland is financing 85 % of the project and Interpedia’s donations cover 15 %.