Tarangini Foundation

Reported amount

$75,611

Contribution type

financial

Flow type

Standard

Donor

UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women

Recipient agency

Tarangini Foundation

Destination

Nepal

Plan

Unspecified

Sector

Protection - Gender-Based Violence

Decision date

05 Nov 2024

First reported

01 Apr 2025

Reference

27_43138

Multi-Sector - GBV Programming Violence against women remains a significant challenge in Nepal as it is deeply intertwined with cultural, social and economic factors. These acts of violence deny women their basic rights to safety, dignity and equality. Among the various forms of VAW prevalent in Nepal, the proposed project wants to focus on ending harmful practices of Taani Bibaha (force/abduction marriage), child marriage and dowry, practices that are sustained and maintained by outdated social and cultural norms. These harmful cultural practices have negative impact on women’s physical and mental health. Survivors often face long-term health problems, including physical injuries, chronic pain, mental health disorders and reproductive health issues. The trauma can lead to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder significantly affecting their overall well-being and quality of life. According to NDHS 2022, 11% and 22% of population exhibits symptoms of anxiety depression respectively, with a significant number of these individual being women. Despite being outlawed, these practices persist in many rural and conservative communities in Nepal. These harmful practices perpetuate gender inequality, hinder economic development and violate basic human rights. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive approach that include not only legal reforms but also education and awareness, community engagement and the empowerment of women and girls. Currently local government are mandated to address GBV and support survivors of GBV. They are also influenced by strong ties with their local community into not enforcing it. Rather in many incidences, they have been known to strengthen traditional values and discriminatory socio-cultural norms and practices such as by coercing survivors into compromising with or shielding the perpetrators in the name of protecting tradition. This leaves the survivors and other women and girls vulnerable to continued threat of violence, exploitation and abuse. Our proposed project goal will be to ensure “Women and girls in targeted district enjoy and live improved and peaceful lives free from violence, particularly forced (abduction) marriage, early and child marriage and dowry related violence.” For this proposed project, Mahila Bikash Sewa Kendra from Dhanusha, Rauta Samudayik Bikash Kendra from Udayapur and Holistic Development Service from Rukum East will be our partner organizations. All three selected districts are known for high number of cases of VAW/G. We plan to work with 120 women and girls (between 15 and 50 years of age) who are survivors of violence, especially of forced/abduction marriage (Taani Bibaha), child marriage, and dowry related violence. We also intend to reach about 500 secondary beneficiaries (including family members, WHRDs, local CBOs, local government representatives, Provincial Parliamentarians, traditional healers/leaders, priest etc.) to increase awareness on consequences of harmful cultural practices and mobilize them as critical opinion makers to challenge harmful traditional practices responsible for VAW. Our proposed project will work for Madheshi women and girls from Dhanusha district, Indigenous women and girls from Udayapur and Rukum East districts. Focus will be on women from the lowest income groups. We will cover Five municipalities in the three districts. The proposed survivor-centric interventions aims to work with women and girls in the community. All measures to enable a safe and confidential environment for the survivors will be adopted and ensured. We will reach out to stakeholders such as front-line/WHRDs, local CBOs, young men and boys by strengthening their capacities to prevent GBV by challenging harmful traditional practices and effectively respond to cases of GBV. Similarly, engagement with the local government in municipality councils, especially judicial committees within these councils will be another component of this project. Local government and their existing protection clusters will be strengthened by developing standard operating procedures, mapping of services for response mechanism, advocacy for gender friendly budgeting, and resource mobilization. The set of proposed actions to change their situation (project’s interventions, the how) • Enhance the capacity of women and young girls at the community to prevent and respond to GBV • Strengthen the GBV response, referral mechanism and protection cluster at local level • Provide need-based support including Psychosocial counselling support, financial incentives, safe-house for rehabilitation, and skill training with livelihood opportunities • Create and strengthen Men and boys’ network, capacity strengthening and conceptual clarity workshops to the network to take lead to address GBV and create environment for social transformation. Overall, the planned interventions will bring together different actors creating environment for women to take lead in a Humanitarian Partnership Platforms model which will better position their voice for collective action against GBV in local emergency response, preparedness and long-term planning. Our proposed project costs are estimated at $ 290,000 USD.