Thursday, August 30, 2018

Educating and Empowering is the powerful way for social transformation: Brief Field Report:


Introduction:

Over 95 % of the families of Jumla, have been practicing sets of menstrual restriction for centuries at the name of culture, religion that remained a huge challenge for social transformation (Hodal, 2016).  The girls and women are staying in sheds (cow or buffalo or goats or horse or whatever they have) or separate huts or separate house or room with following restrictions related to food, touch, entering or mobility (Nepal, actionworksnepal.org, 2013).  Such restrictions affect the all aspect of the life of girls and women started from deprivation of food, health, education, participation etc. that leads to loss or no job, sickness, low income and often encountered with bites from snake, wild animal, murders, abuses, death and rape due to extreme cold or collection of carbon mono-oxide (Paudel, RHSC, 2016).  It further acknowledges that the menstrual restriction is key barrier for peace, serious form of violence of human right and hindering factor for empowerment as well as sustainable development goals.

By considering severity of menstrual restriction, Action Works Nepal and Italian Foundation, jointly organized series of capacity building activities by following the principles of REFLECT (Regenerated Freirean Literacy by Empowering Community Techniques) in 2014 and followed up in 2016. [1] It took place in five villages; two villages from headquarter of Jumla called Dillichaur and Patrashi (cluster one) and three villages from west, called Talium, Lamra and Hanku (cluster two).
Purpose: 
The empowerment of women is the purpose by letting them know on human right, gender, constitutional policies focus with menstrual restrictions. 
Methods:
Women were identified as from the respective villages who were recognized as natural leader in their groups such as cooperative, mother's group for reflective discussion. Likewise, men and faith healers were identified who are already positive towards the human right of women and equality. Originally, there were 60 participants where at least 30 % always men either as men leader or faith healer. The number of group keep changing though about two third of participants were same in all reflective discussion. It was three days, residential program in their respective clusters in January, April, December 2014 and followed up was in December 2016. The entire discussions had done in participatory manner. They were power mapping, women's mobility, participation analysis, dependency analysis, resource mapping. Likewise, the other methods; individual and group work and reflections, discussions, game, story-telling, role play, question/answer, case studies, live case sharing, songs. Regards to content, first meeting focused on participatory tools, gender, inclusion, gender based violence, human right, constitutional provisions, advocacy, documentation, group mobilization, facilitation skills. During second and third training, enough space provided for individual reflection, presentation and question-answer followed by success, challenges and open floor discussion no matter whether they can read and write or not. Most of the participants were unable to read and write so assistant provided from the team or often played assistant role by facilitator.  The depth analysis of issue, advanced skills of advocacy, VDC grant, menstrual rights especially anti-Chhaupadi campaign, networking, celebrations of days (international women's day, peace day, 16 days VAW Activism), engaging men and boys, felicitations of role model family and community, process of declaration of Chhaupadi free community, access to public resources e.g. Community Forestry User's Group, village grant, dialogue and negotiation with political leaders. There was felicitation and award for the best participants during all training for recognition as well as encouragement.
The follow up 2016 training was done at same place and with mostly same participants. The facilitator had shared the food, residence and culture during all trainings. The three sessions had conducted in villages and one at Bazar.
Results:
1.      During the second meeting, the confidence of all participants built up. Female participants put off their cover from head, spoke without covering face by their hands, called facilitator as sister, ate, dance and sang along with facilitator. They started to questions to their stereotyped practices at home e.g. Chhaupadi. Few of them engaged in negotiation and dialogue of domestic violence.
2.      During the third meeting, in addition to second meeting, half of the participants started to work in group and claimed their rights of participation, access to resources e.g. VDC budget e.g. Nrs 100000, Nrs 30,000, Nrs 300000 in Lamra, Dillichaur, Patrashi respectively. It is very encouraging news that they able to shift the budget from construction of temple to women's empowerment programs e.g. sewing training. They assessed the household's sanitation e.g. toilet and condition of tap then assisted to construct five toilets and repaired two taps. Surprisingly, they identify 91 males who transformed their gender roles (engage boys and men). They continuously engaged with various groups and lobby and advocacy for transparency, inclusion and participation. Further, they identify the two violence of witchcraft case and resolved locally.  Few assisted to register three births, assisted to get citizenship for two widow women and three disable children. The leadership and communication skills developed where local stakeholders also paid respect and invited at local meetings (Paudel, Action Works Nepal, 2014). More importantly, they abolished the Chhaupadi practice at their home, territory and organized various activities to end gender based violence and elimination of Chhaupadi by organizing march pass, rally, interaction program, quiz, monitoring visit on GBV in public transport, street drama etc at local level.
3.      During follow up training, December 2016, the results tremendously encouraging in many ways; i) increased the Chhaupadi free families and communities in all working villages, even faith healers, men leaders took lead role to abolish Chhaupadi. Community declared Chhaupadi free community by themselves, ii) increased awareness on basic concepts of gender, inclusion, GBV (Gender Based Violence), 16 days VAW (Violence against Women)  and few legal perspectives, iii) expanded the networking and coordination among local actors and also mild type of linkage developed with district network, iv) enhanced leadership skills in mobilization of communities and community events e.g. Chhaupadi free community, marched of 16 days VAW activism, v) improved the knowledge and skills on combating violence against girls and women, vi) increased the number of men, women and faith healers as champions, and vii) recognized as local leaders by other stakeholders.
Discussion:
The social transformation is always not easy. The difficult geography, inadequate infrastructure, low literacy, poor economy, heavy workload is fuelling their learning. Given this scenario, there are reasons for achieving abovementioned results.
1.      Building Trust: In order to build trust, facilitator stayed in village during the course of training, ate the food whatever participants eat or available locally, shared the same place for accommodation, singing, dancing with participants at their pace by language and style are key factors of bonding between participants and facilitator. Here, facilitator used the philosophy of Miteri (Miteri is indigenous practice of mutual love and respect beyond marriage and blood regardless of caste, class, education, religion. It is connector to build culture for peace and justice by ensuring inclusion, no hierarchy and non-discrimination). After few hours of discussions, participants started to rewind their stories as requested by the facilitator. Trust is the most crucial element for engagement with community. Usually, participants in remote and underprivileged group have thick layer of hesitation, deep level of fear and humiliation. They often considered themselves as power less, uncivilized. Meanwhile, usually the facilitator also unable to demonstrate the trust and intimacy between participants and facilitator. They presented as teacher not as team member.   
2.      Approach of engagement: By considering the literacy status of the participants, the entire discussion was based on participatory methods. The facilitator constantly encouraged each participant to speak to protect their daughters or they should not be like their mothers who suffered throughout their life without single questioning. Even the never school going participants presented alone in front of mass. His/her assistant only reminded the missing points from the newspaper. Because it is all about the work whatever they have done after the previous training. In addition, the team also made field visit to observe the situation whether the changes take place or not as the participant said.
The individual reflection, discussion and action help each other to understand the issue, gaps, challenges, learn and apply of strategies at individual work and group. 

3.       Engagement with men and faith healers: Participants identified that women are working 18-20 hours a day where as men are working 7 hours mostly applied during agricultural season. They also know that it is because of power structure and violence of women's right. Gradually, the number of men and faith healers increased and they recognized and felicitated as role model men or faith healer and they actively led the anti-Chhaupadi free community. The villages declared as Chhaupadi free community by themselves. Before declaration, they made home visit, consult with householder, organize series of consultation and educational discussions and confirmed that the village have no more Chhaupadi practice except 2-3 faith healers house who are so much in opposition.
4.      Follow Up: The participants are not only never school going but also living in so closed and limited society. Thus, the retention of knowledge is another challenge. By considering this fact, the training was followed up after in between 3-4 months based on seasons and availability of flights to get there.
5.      Disappointment and Satisfaction: During the first meeting, specially faith healers and men had expressed their disappointment while talking about the Chhaupadi (Nepal, Action Works Nepal, 2015). Later, when they knew the gender, human rights, role of citizen, they transformed and tale lead role in community.


References

Hodal, K. (2016, April 1). thegurdian.com. Retrieved from Gurdian: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/apr/01/nepal-bleeding-shame-menstruating-women-banished-cattle-sheds
Nepal, A. W. (2013, January 1). actionworksnepal.org. Retrieved from Action Works Nepal: www.actionworksnepal.org
Nepal, A. W. (2015, 9 28). Action Works Nepal. Retrieved from Actionworks Nepal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mxf9aA97M8
Paudel, R. (2014, 5 1). Action Works Nepal. Retrieved from Action Works Nepal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXYMJ1eItjY
Paudel, R. (2016, October 13). RHSC. Retrieved from RHSC: https://www.rhsupplies.org/fileadmin/uploads/rhsc/General_Membership_Meetings/Seattle_2016/Presentations/Day_4/Menstruation_-_An_urgent_call_for_action_for_human_right__peace__building__empowerment__and_sustainable_development_-_Radha_Paudel.pdf








[1] An innovative approach to adult learning and social change, which fuses the theories of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire with participatory methodologies.

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