Dharan, July-August 2007
IMA’s Project Manager, Helena Raijas-Walch, has just returned from a two-month consultancy for the Strengthening of Environmental Administration and Management at local level in Nepal (SEAM-N) project. This project began in 2001, and aims to protect the environment through sustainable rural, urban and industrial development and use of natural resources. The project is strengthening and improving local level capacities and practices, to support the ongoing decentralisation process in Nepal.
The main objective of Helena’s input was to prepare a report on the gender, poverty and social inclusion achievements and lessons learned of the SEAM-N. Helena interviewed SEAM-N technical staff and key stakeholders in the local administration, in communities and in industries. She also designed and delivered training sessions including ‘Gender and Social Inclusion in the Schools’ for teachers in the School Environment Promotion Programme (SEPP). Helena and her counterpart, the Nepalese Gender and Poverty Expert, Ms Laxmi Karki, also planned and organised a Gender and Safe Motherhood Workshop for the industry sector and facilitated group discussions with female factory workers and managers on Safe Motherhood issues.
Project Summary
The overall objective of the SEAM-N Project is to contribute to the protection of the environment and to the environmentally sustainable rural, urban and industrial development and utilisation of natural resources in Nepal, through strengthening and improving local level environmental administration and management capacities and practices. The purpose of the Project is to protect, enhance and sustain the quality of the environment and provide healthier and ecologically more diverse living environments for the population of the Project area, through decentralising the environmental administration in the context of the on-going overall decentralisation process in Nepal. The main objective of the gender and poverty consultancy was to prepare a report on the gender, poverty and social inclusion achievements and lessons learned of the SEAM-N. The second objective was to facilitate and provide technical assistance for the Gender and Safe Motherhood Workshop for the industries and develop a simple checklist of Safe Motherhood measures for the industries. The third objective was to facilitate and take part in gender, poverty and social inclusion related trainings and workshops. IGPE interviewed all project technical staff and key stakeholders and beneficiaries in the local administration, communities and industries. Based on the findings IGPE prepared a report on Gender, Poverty and Social Inclusion Situation Assessment in SEAM-N. Together with the Nepalese Gender and Poverty Expert, IGPE planned and organised a Gender and Safe Motherhood Workshop for the industries and organised two group discussions with female factory workers on Safe Motherhood issues. A workshop report including a simple checklist of Safe Motherhood measures for the industries was prepared. Furthermore, IGPE prepared and delivered presentations in the following meetings and trainings: Empowerment and Mainstreaming and Gender Roles and Relations in the Environmental Sub-Committee / Village Development Committee Interaction Meeting in Dharan
Gender and Social Inclusion in the Schools, Empowerment and Mainstreaming and Gender Roles and Relations in two Solid Waste Management trainings to teachers in the School Environment Promotion Programme (SEPP)
Gender and Industry and Safe Motherhood in the Gender and Safe Motherhood Workshop for the Industries
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