GeMSIP increases public awareness, transparency and accountability

काठमाण्डु टुडे २०७० माघ ३ गते १०:३१ मा प्रकाशित

Kathmandu, Jan. 17: The Gender Mainstreaming and Social Inclusion Project (GeMSIP) has helped increase public awareness, transparency and accountability in Syangja and Morang districts.

The project is implemented by the government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

At a national seminar organised for the promotion of the GeMSIP here today, it was pointed out that central and local mechanisms should be strengthened for the implementation of GeMSIP related policies, guidelines and programmes and the project should be extended to other districts too.

GeMSIP is a technical cooperation project supported by JICA. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD), the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) and the Department of Women and Children (DWC) have jointly implemented the five-year sample project started in February 2009.

The project is in operation in 21 VDCs and three municipalities of the two districts.

Its main goal is to make the whole development process at VDCs/Municipalities gender responsive and socially inclusive. To attain this goal, GeMSIP adopted the “learning by doing” approach—provided local people with an opportunity to practice the proper planning process for themselves.

Each Pilot VDC or Municipality therefore received a block grant of Rs. 500,000 a year to finance its various projects which must be gender responsive and socially inclusive.

The GeMSIP has been supporting to increase awareness of women and socially excluded groups, for the first time, in proposal writing, selection and implementation as well as for increasing their participation.

On the occasion, Joint-Secretary at the MoFALD, Shyam Raj Khanal, said that the project has helped in promoting transparency and accountability since its sample implementation phase.

He added that discussion would be held to extend the project through mutual cooperation.

Similarly, Joint-Secretary at the MoWCSW, Padmaraj Bhatta, said that the project has directly helped increase women’s empowerment at the local level.

Likewise, Country Representative of JICA, Tsutomu Shimizu, assured of continuous technical support in the implementation of the existing policies and guidelines for gender mainstreaming and social inclusion.

Representatives of municipalities and VDCs, implementing the project, and facilitators shared their experiences. RSS

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