BACKGROUND

Women are the source of power and inspiration to man and constitutes half of the total population in Nepal. Despite this, women are not treated as equal partner in development. They are left far behind and majorities of them are in a very precarious condition and confined within the boundary of household affairs. Only 25% female are literate. Women's participation at policymaking level is very low. Keeping this fact in mind, like minded women from different NGOs have joined hand to create a forum that help bring the changes in social, economic, cultural and education status of women. This forum has been christianized as "Women for Change".

This program will be launched at regular intervals frequently every year as and when possible incorporating various activities in the area of women's development. Women for Change program would basically focus to empower women through encouragin them for participation in economic, social and political aspects of life.

The organizers of the forum are four national level NGOs (Neighborhood Society Service Center, NSSC; Kanaya Mandir Alumnae, KMA; Women Development Foundation of Nepal, WDFN; and Nepal Jagaran Shakti Samuha, NJSS). It has already conducted an activity called Kasthamandap Show with the cooperation of Nepal Tourism Board on the auspicious occasion of her majersty's 52nd birthday to promote cultural tourism in the country. This helped women to get exposed in area of tourism sector. To give continuity in the efforts, it has planned to implement a similar program on the eve of Women's Day 2001. It also intended to raise funds for related activities.

True to its name, Women for Change forum would select those programs which would focus on raising awarness, advocating and encouraging actions that address the women's concerns including gender sensitivity, spiritual conciseness, women's legal rights, and counseling on violence agains women. Apart from these, it would cover the programs that relate to education, health, sanitation, capacity building, and micro-credit to alleviate poverty.

OBJECTIVES

• Provide underprivileged women the opportunity for education and economic activities
• Provide legal counseling to the victims of household violence agains women and the women who were trafficked for sexual activities
• Provide skill training to the women vulnerable for trafficking for sexual activities
• Create preassure group and lobby to the government to bring policy and programs that favors to the women folk
• Provide preventive advice on Maternity, Child Health and Family Planning Services
• Provide tourism related skill training to open them to work in trousim sector for income generation
• conduct reserarch and implement programs that directly help reduce poverty in the country

WORKING PROCEDURES

Development approach for the last three decades has heavily emphasized on high technology, external inputs, services and management system. The potentials of indigenous technology, knowledge and skill of the people and the management system is not adequately realized.

WC forum vision that all people in Nepal would recognize the full worth and respect accorded to women. It also believes on the equal opportunity to share resources and knowledge for the overall development of the country.

Accordingly, WC forum aims at mobilizing the financially well off family with enough enthusiasm to work in the social development activities. However, it also recognizes the value of mixed cultural and economic groups of women and men working in partnership as volunteers. Hence, WC is a form of highly enthusiastic women with high degree of willingness to contribute their time, energy concerns, related to either them living in the urban slumm or in the remote areas o fhte country. The men or wmen willing to contribute financial resources as well as their knowledge for the development of the women folk will be sought asking them following questions:

• Are you interested to work in the social development activities?
• What resources do you like to contribute for the development fo the women folk?
• How long would you be able to assist for this endeavor?
• What is your choice regarding the location of the geographical area to implement the program of your choice?
• What is your choice regarding the location of the geographical area to implement the program of your choice?
• What would be the appropriate programs to up-lift the majority of women folk?
• On what program you would like to participate?
• In what form you would like to contribute?

This would be our main strategy to collect the resources and talents to work for the development of the women folk living in the country. However, we will aslo look for te support of the other NGOs, INGOs and Government organization regarding the financial and technical aspects of cooperations.

ORGANIZATION OF THE FORUM

The executive committee has been formed from the executive chairperson of the respective co-operation NGOs to conduct the programs relating to women for change. To run its varous activties from time to time, a coordinator is assigned from within the executive committee of the forum. apart from this other like-minded dignitaries having enough enthusiasm of contributing time, resource and knowledge for the cause of women's concerns are also welcome to join in this initiatives. The coordinator is mainly responsible for the overall management of the forum. The coordinator has the authority to approve the program proposal, enter into agreements with other organizations, and also implement the program. Other staff of the cooperating NGOs, however, will assist the coordinator as and when required.