Support for 150 Sexually Exploited Women in Nepal

Background:

Raksha Nepal (RN) since last 10 years has been supporting girls, women and their children working in the informal entertainment sector as well as the victims of different forms of violence. It has endlessly raising the voices against all kinds of crimes and violence in respective sectors, such as domestic violence, rape, polygemy, humantraficking, sexual violence, compulsive prostitution etc.

In situations where girls and women are being exploited in one way or other, RN is working to organize them, so that they are able to fight for their rights and exploitation. RN's main objective is to organize these women working in the entertainment sector through different groups and provide them with different skill training. Moreover, RN has been providing these women with low interest credit through it's saving and credit cooperative, so that these women can open small business of their own based on their skills. 

Raksha Nepal in 2004 was founded by the group of young women who were the victims of gender based violence (GBV). In the earlier days, RN started running with few target groups coming to one room rented place of the present for basic reading/writing classes and sharing of the ordeals those girls/women went through. In course of time, with small contributions from local donors, it was able to expand its programs in advocacy and media mobilization and in 2009, with the rehabilitation and reintegration. Combining both the advocacy and shelter proved to be more effective and successful. The radio programs covered whole nation, effect of which was issues on violence and forced prostitution was able to formed 20 women and girls groups in kathmandu valley. RN providing them skill development trainings and support low interest rate loan with some seed money for startup their new business.

Major Activities

• To provide psychosocial and trauma counseling to build strength and to mentally prepare the target groups.
• Meetings and coordination with the owners of the informal entertainment sectors, line ministries, National women commission, police and other related stakeholders.
• Conduct workshop with media person on sensitize about trafficking, sexual exploitation etc.
• Conduct vocational and skill development trainings for alternative livelihood. Basic skill development training on Sewing/cutting, SPA and Beauty parlor for 20 women and girls.
• Conduct seminars and trainings for capacity building on leadership, protection, risk management, association and labor law for union members and other group members.

Activities in Details:

• To provide psychosocial and trauma counseling to build strength and to mentally prepare the target groups: Raksha Nepal provides regular and required base counseling to victim women and girls. It's also provides counseling classes in different groups. RN also provides counseling to those women and girls as per their required who are not member of the organization or involved in groups. In this quarter counseling classes conducted in 3 groups for 62 women and girls. Out of these classes additionally provided basic counseling to 12 women in RN office. RN also provided psychosocial counseling to 2 rape victim girls as well. As per the group members requirements counselor has been provides counseling.
  
  
• Meetings and coordination with the owners of the informal entertainment sectors, line ministries, National women commission, police and other related stakeholders: Raksha Nepal organized regular coordination meetings with issue related stakeholders and getting support from the concerned sector for victim women and girls.Through these regular meetings, RN working to make strong voice for protects their rights. Through this meeting 40 different participants were participated from the different sectors. 12 participants from the establishments of owners, 2 representative from National Women Commission, 9 from media, 2 from police representatives, 9 women from Raksha Women Network and 6 from staff members.Coordination meeting being continued and build advocacy for protect women and their rights.
  
  
• Conduct workshop with media person on sensitize about trafficking, sexual exploitation etc: RN has been conducted interacting work shop with media person to share with them about reality of the entertainment sector and also trying to clean up image of those women and girls who are working in this sector. RN realized if media support to those women and expose of reality and condition of the women and girls, after the workshop media person has committed to support those women and girls for protect their rights. RN invited most of the journalist from the reputed media, major media houses sent their representatives for the discussion. 6 journalist and 11 women and girls from the women network and representatives from different women groups were participated and 4 staff member were also participated on that workshop.
  

• Conduct vocational and skill development trainings for alternative livelihood. Basic skill development training on Sewing/cutting, SPA and Beauty parlor for 20 women and girls: Raksha Nepal has provides different kinds of skill training to those women and girls who are willing to start new business and self dependent. During this period RN has been provides different skills trainings such as Tailoring, SPA and Beauty parlor. Raksha Nepal often discusses with group members and staff members and finds out appropriate participants for the skill trainings; 30 women were participated. RN conducted Tailoring training in Raksha premises for 9 women and 2 women received beauty parlor training from training institute and the rest of the 19 women received the SPA training from the institute.

• Conduct seminars and trainings for capacity building on leadership, protection, risk management, association and labor law for union members and other group members: Raksha Nepal capacitating to union and network members through organizing different capacity building activities. RN conducted Association and Labor law training for union and network members. Basically in this training they received knowledge about institutional system, role and responsibilities of the key members and basic terms about labor law. There were 20 participants, 9 from union and 11 from women networks. 2 days training was fully focusing on organizing and raise voice through collective way.
  
  

Dear Donors/Supporters

I am pleased to forward our quarterly major activities report. This is discription of major activities done in this reporting period. Now, we are receiving small support from DKA/KFB Austria with other number of individuals to raise a voice of these exploited women and girls.

Still, there are thousands of women and girls complled to work on vulnurable situation lack of better working option, we are try to support them to develop skill and more oppertunities. We are expecting more support from your side that we able to reach maximum numbers of women and girls with better options.

I hope this support will continue in future as well.

Best regards,

Links:

• this is the organizational webpage