WELCOME ACCURO FIDUCIARY
TO YOUR YEAR 3 - Q2 PROJECT REPORT
OVERVIEW
Throughout the quarter, this program has provided vital support and community for the girls under lockdown in their villages due to Covid-19 restrictions. Unfortunately, cases of domestic child abuse have dramatically risen during lockdown in Nepal and in other countries around the world. The program is keeping the girls connected and allows them to share issues or worries with professionals. This is incredibly important and without this program there would be no way for the girls to seek help.
There has been fantastic participation in our online courses and the girls are real pillars of their communities, passing on their teachings to siblings, parents and elders. The girls are often the sole source of information on health and hygiene for their fellow villagers.
Overall it has been a very successful quarter with everyone adapting well to the unusual circumstances and programs shifting online.
Objectives:
To eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination against girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
To end all harmful practices towards girls (child, early and forced marriage, taboos on regular menstruation).
To empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion.
To ensure equal opportunity to girls/adolescent laws, policies and practices.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE QUARTER
Asian Girls' Power Camp
A group of peer educators participated in the Asian Girls’ Power Camp organised by the Garden of Hope Foundation, Taiwan. The program had a total of 70 adolescent girls participating from eight different countries, including three participants from our program; Aastha Anirjit Bastakoti, Sushma Pokhrel and Asha BK. Our girls took 2nd and 3rd place.
The winners will receive the prize to put into the plan created during power camp along with the opportunity to join various events. The team won an award worth 1500 USD for designing a mobile application to combat street harassment.
The Garden of Hope Foundation in Taiwan organises such events each year to discuss the plight of adolescents in Asia and the problems they face along with the possible solutions. This year it was conducted online because of COVID-19. Participants from other countries shared the existence of problems like harassment, abuse and exploitation of adolescents in other countries.
Youth Webinar Series: Generation Equality
In collaboration with National Youth Council and Saathi, we organised a series of webinars targeted at youth with the objective of promoting girl friendly environments.
On September 6th 2020, a webinar on "Breaking Stereotypes” was conducted where a dialogue was held with young people who have challenged the gender roles determined by the society.
On 20th September 2020, a webinar on "Violence Free Homes" was conducted where a dialogue with youth from various sectors was held about how home environment affects individuals and what can be done to create safe spaces inside homes.
SakchhinChhori TV Program
Season 2 of the "SakchhinChhori" Program has started. It is broadcasted through national Television; NTV Plus, at Prime Time, 7:00 PM, every Friday.
The program tells the untold stories of girls and women who have inspiring stories of change. The program is presented through SDGs Studio, and is supported by JCYCN, Kanallan, NCFLG Forum, and Good Neighbours International.
Six episodes of the program have been broadcast so far. The program has featured girls and women with inspiring stories and achievements. This is groundbreaking in Nepal and has been a big step forward for many aspects of woman’s rights and also the individual development of participating girls.
FM Programs
Kanallan and partner JCYCN have continued their efforts to generate dialogue and create awareness through partnerships through local media. Through partnership with Aabhani Media’s Happy FM, and Kawasoti FM, programs on Girls empowerment and PSAs are being aired regularly.
From July – September 2020, six episodes each have been broadcast through each of the mentioned FM stations.
The episodes broadcast have been on the Situation of Children in the district, role of civil society organisations (CSOs) for the promotion of girls’ rights, COVID-19 and its impact on children, and especially on girls, COVID-19 and its impact on education, role of parents in ensuring child rights and girls’ rights, minimising risks faced by adolescents during the pandemic, legal measures adopted by Nepal to curb violence against girls and children, and adolescent mental health.
Online advanced group training
Throughout the quarter we put together an array of online training programs that were run as interactive group sessions over Zoom and Skype.
Despite the challenges of moving these courses online the virtual training proved to be effective and the peer educators had a very positive response to it.
Moreover, some peer educators joined with their siblings whereas some had their parents listening in. This was an unintended positive consequence that helped the program reach a wider audience.
KEY ONLINE SESSIONS:
Life Skill Training
Peer Ethics
Decision Making
Stress Management
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Training -Menstruation - Pregnancy - Hygiene and Rights
Success Story Writing/Storytelling Workshop
A NEW LAW TO PROTECT WOMEN
Unfortunately, brutal and disfiguring acid attacks on women in Nepal are not uncommon, in rural areas they are largely overlooked and often considered justified by local people as a form of punishment for dishonouring the family. This can be for as little as a girl holding a boy's hand in public. These attacks, under most instances are because of deep rooted beliefs and traditions and are, unbelievably, legal.
As mentioned, a large part of the Girls Empowerment Program is our media presence, part of which is the weekly national TV show that we produce discussing girls rights in Nepal amongst other issues. A very brave young lady who was a guest on our show was an acid attack survivor. She came on to discuss her story, the horrific situation as it stood in Nepal and the lack of women's rights to defend themselves or seek help.
As a result of her appearance on the show, she was invited to meet the Prime Minister of Nepal, in itself an incredible thing to occur for a young girl from a rural area. This led onto a series of events that culminated in a new law being passed to make revenge/punishment acid attacks illegal, give women a network for support and bring the culprits to justice.
An incredible outcome that we could really only have dreamed of, we certainly can't take credit for the whole process, but the Girls Empowerment Program that you so generously make possible was a huge catalyst for the end result.