Report of the workshop on Rehabilitation of single women of conflict areas

Organised by Women for Human Rights (WHR)

12-14 July 2006, Dang, Ghorahi

The three days workshop on "Rehabilitation of single women of conflict areas" was held from 12- 14 July 2006 at Dang, Gorahi with the financial support of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES Nepal).

The fighting between government security forces and the Maoist insurgents has aggravated the hardship of single women/mothers and their children. Many young married women lost their husbands due to the ongoing conflict and have become single parents at a very young age.

Dang is one of the most conflict affected district after Surkhet. Single women of Dang districts are totally neglected by the government as well as by the community due to the suspect of being Maoist's families, and are without a means to support themselves and their dependants. Most of the single women in these communities are untouchable castes and living their lives by selling the fodder collected from the forests.

With the support of FES Nepal, WHR formed two Single women's Groups in Goltakuri & Fulbari in 2003. These women were organized and engaged in various skill development and capacity building training. Some children of single women are also receiving scholarship from the Opportunity Fund of WHR. Looking the positive impacts of the organized groups, other single women also organized themselves in various VDCs of Dang followed by forming a Committee in Ghorahi and new groups have also formed in Dang district. Now there are altogether six single women (widows) groups in Dang districts (Gorahi, Goltakuri, Phulbari, Hapur, Ganeshpur and Haluwar )

The objectives of the workshop

The main objectives of the workshop were to incorporate gender perspective into peace building process (re-conciliation, re-integration & re-settlement) through involving conflict affected single women as change agents in Dang district.

Facilitators
Neera Shrestha, Puspa Ghimire Niraula, Bal Krishna Adhikari- Assistant facilitator

Participation and venue
There were altogether 33 single women (widows) from six VDCs (Gorahi, Goltakuri, Phulbari, Hapur, Ganeshpur and Haluwar ) of Dang District. The workshop was held at the Hall of New Rapti Super Logde, Gorahi , Dang district.

Participants' names for the workshop

Expected outcomes of the workshop

• It is necessary to implement UNSCR-1325 in Nepal and actions were taken to encourage single women to participate in peace building.
• Application of international human rights instrument in local context through trained people. All single women (widows) together with Shahayogi Sathi, will further disseminate messages to village levels and duty bearers of the issues, such as local government officials, security personnel, judicial panel and larger communities.
• Empower single women to claim their rights and influencing the state as the duty bearers in fulfilling their legitimate claims
• The unique methods that WHR has adopted is the involvement of all categories of widows together in the groups, from both sides of the conflict, together in its groups and thereby gives them a mutual platform for dialogue. WHR also emphasizes on including women no matter whether they are families of security personnel or Maoist or of any political background keeping in mind only that they are all having the similar kinds of needs and interests. This allows them to be involved in many activities to empower as well as to make them agents of peace makers in the community
• Changes of relationship in larger communities have already been seen. Single women (widows) who participated in the workshop will further organize the awareness raising campaign; the communities will become well-informed about the plight of single women and their children. As a result, single women and their children will be treated in these communities better and these communities will play a constructive role in combating worst form of violence to single women in Nepal in the long run. And the women will be recognized as change agents for peace process.

Areas of discussion in the workshop

• Government of Nepal has signed various international human rights treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), UNCSR-1325 and other human rights instruments. However, very small number of people, even in the decision making positions, have the knowledge about these and provisions have been poorly implemented. Due to the escalating violence in the country since the last ten years, human rights violations have risen to new heights. Women are more likely victimized and exploited, but they are not yet recognized as peace makers in the present scenario. The workshop prioritizes involvement of single women as peace makers referring UNCSR-1325 which emphasizes involvement of women in every step of peace building process.
• Build capacity development of members and district committees of Dang to work for negotiation, designing/planning and implementing peace-building activities at the local level.
• Develop local networks with different stakeholders to institutionalize gender sensitive mechanism ensuring women's meaningful participation in all stages of peace building process.
• Support single women of Dang district to play leading roles to promote United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR-1325) which emphasizes involvement of women in every step of peace building process.
  " Highlight the roles and potential of single women in peace process, the mechanism for peace dialogue, importance of women's participation in peace process, women's participation in conflict resolution at local, national and international level, peace management and women's role.
• Widows are discriminated and deprived of living normal socio-cultural life. Besides these, widows are being discriminated legally. Discussed about Widow's Charter that was passed in International Conference on capacity Building of single women (widows) organized by WHR. Widows charter has developed the rights of the widows against Torture, Declaration on Elimination of Violence, SCR 1325) under the constitution, under the domestic civil law (especially personal status) and under the penal code.
• Support to run the saving and credit program of the group, build single women (widows) group and make it sustainable through various efforts.

Conclusion

It is necessary to raise issues and to demonstrate how to utilize these instruments in the on-going peace building process in Nepal. Through these workshops single women (widows) as cadres of peace makers have contributed in building trust and reconciliation in societies. The cadres will act as pressure group in the community and serve as catalyst for the implementation of human rights treaties at all levels. These cadres will build up pressure and advocate implementing the human rights activities to the concerned authorities. The cadres in the community actively advocate using the widow's charter at every sector.