2.1. Project appraisal and gender sensitivity
2.2 The project objectives/strategy & gender concerns
2.3 Group identification and formation
2.6 Scholarship for girls/education
The findings and conclusions derived by the consultant are based mainly on the analysis of gender considerations related to the following areas:
a. Project Appraisal
b. Project Objectives
c. Group identification, group formation
d. Implementation/project inputs
e. Sustainability of the project
In the project appraisal, certain assumptions have been made about the status of the Nepalese women which need to be examined in the light of the actual facts or realities. The detailed assessment is added to this report as Annex IV.
The Project Appraisal states that the Nepalese women "can own and inherit property, choose any vocation, have a major say in the family decisions... ". That there are no cultural restrictions for their movement and interaction with people outside the immediate family..." But there are no such reference to the status of the males in the field of decision making and cultural norms effecting male's movement and access to opportunities and resources. Thus under all the positive assumptions about women, the project appraisal reflects many artificial conclusions on the possibility of women's easier participation along with men in all the activities initiated by the project.
The gender roles keep changing in the changed context. It is not a rationalistic approach to intervene in all the communities of different contexts with the same assumptions. As for example, the women and men of a Tamang community may not play the same role as being played by the women and men in a typical Brahmin community.
With regard to their controlling power upon the resources such as land, houses, big livestock and crop fields the Nepalese women have so far been discriminated by the social norms as well as the legal provisions.
This has to be taken into account when the planners or the implementators design for the distribution of the project resources among the men and women beneficiaries. The concern will arise, whether it is the man or the woman who decides about using, buying and selling of the production based on the fields, forest land etc. ? Who does what, who has access to what, who gets what and who controls what?
Now when it comes to the matter of contribution, it is obvious that it is the women who play the triple role in the productive, reproductive and community chapters. The males are found to contribute in two chapters only,-- productive and community.
Since women cannot decide freely upon the matter of their mobility and use of time and other material resources, how can the project expect that only by formulating a few policies based upon superficial assumptions it can encourage particularly the married women to come forward spontaneously for achieving a sustainable impact in forestry development together with their own economic development?
Recommendations
It is recommended that the assumptions made by the appraisal in this case, should be reviewed in the light of the existing legal provisions of the state, using gender analysis framework mentioned in the assessment chapter of the project appraisal by the consultant.
It is also recommended that the project inputs such as special bank loan provision for the female household heads to hire labour for land development can be examined in its real strengths and weaknesses.
As because the plots of land are degraded ones, it takes time and continuous efforts to improve the land quality. It is therefore recommended that the provision for soft loan only (e.g., under special subsidy in interest) should be established for the women of this category; or a kind of a revolving fund from the project's side can be established for these women to run off-farm activities besides small livestock promotion such as opening small cooperative shop or a community grinding mill or processing of locally available herbs. Thus, they should be considered for activities which does not require collateral, involve less risks and does not become a burden instead of an assistance.
However, small livestock development has been very popular among women for which they want to have improved breed. Recommendation is given that exposure to successful stall feeding projects be given by the project to the target groups.
An intensive gender specific study of the communities of the project areas which consist of many different geographical, socio-economical composition, should immediately be carried out in order to find out the specific role of gender in each of the given context of the different communities (or similar communities taken together in sample).
The project has the twin objectives of raising the incomes of the families in the Hills who are below poverty line and contributing to improving the ecological conditions in the Hills.
The project on the ground of its interest wants to achieve an ecological improvement by using the below poverty line people as the actors. The project sets the objectives as per its requirement. The whole project cycle will be affected by this "ready made" objectives where people will keep thinking that the project is responsible for their welfare. The project's requirement might not be the same as to their priority requirement. This can prove to be an imposition from outsiders in the long run.
Recommendations
Since the achievement of the objectives require full participation of both females and males of the families the participation will be effective only if the objectives are fully realised by the beneficiaries themselves.
It is recommended that the project objectives are discussed, clarified and made acceptable by the communities through participatory discussion in the new sites where the project is planning to intervene.
Moreover, the objectives are very broad. It is recommended that the objectives have to be more specific depending on the needs of the people, specifically women because they are the ones who will face increased work load for the initial years, during land preparation, plantation and care taking of the plants as because they are already occupied heavily by domestic workload.
The integrated strategy for implementation by involving four line agencies adopted by the project to achieve the objectives is an innovative one and thus, it is not very easy to try with the poor groups of people, specifically with women who are normally deprived of the basic important resources for survival.
It is recommended that the project should consolidate its implementation and examine the lessons learnt through practice, rather than expanding too quickly into too many districts. It should examine "who have been able to participate more and reap the benefits of the project so far ? Is it happening on an equitable basis for men and women ? What have been the constraints and what have been the supporting factors for the project to mainstream women ?
The main basic task of the project team is the group identification which comes after the identification of the degraded forest areas. So far, male, female and mixed groups have been formed. The group formation is done by the group organisers of SFDP. The local NGOs also facilitate the process. However, despite the appraisal refers to the inclusion of the landless/near landless people and the female headed households as target families, the conditions required (land as the collateral) for bank loan are difficult to be met by the actual target groups. The bank loan instead of facilitating, stands as a controlling factor with regard to the identification and formation of the genuine target groups.
So far most of the groups are being formed around the section of the communities who can have access to collateral and who can give guarantee for the repayment of bank loan. Thus the central force influencing the concept of group formation is the Bank policy adopted by the HMG/N for SFDP.
The project determines the characteristics of the group. The local people decide who will be the members in the executive committee. There are committees of women only, men only and men and women mixed. However, the decision making function differs in the male female mixed group. The females' decisions get influenced by those of the males. However, at the effort of the project staff, women are being encouraged to exploit the opportunities to express themselves.
Recommendations
It is recommended that the strategies for group formation should be reviewed and modified. Since this project has an innovative approach of involving the poorer section of the population, integrating the female household heads in the activity of developing of the degraded forest land, the approach of group formation must be an unique and innovative one which could be participated by the actual beneficiaries.
The group formation should be done on the basis of findings achieved through participatory rural appraisal, including men and women in the groups so that it can be more democratic and equitable. The functions of the different types of executive committees, i.e., men only, women/men mixed and female only should be monitored to draw practical lessons for future improvement.
The project is being implemented in a fast pace in four district within two years. The activities at the grass root level are focused on group formation, loan distribution, organising training/workshops, study tour, land development, raising group saving, nursery establishment, distribution of lease certificates etc.
Training/workshops
The implementation of the project policy requiring the attendance of the husband and the wife in the training is however working differently with different groups. Although the idea and the objective of such a provision is extremely appreciable the reality is that the women seldom get time for participating in project training and other activities regularly due to their extremely busy work schedule which involves farm work, household chores, livestock rearing and mainly agroforestry related activities.
Even if they attend the training, in some cases, they send their daughters the next day. There are no female trainers in the trainers' teams. This is also a discouraging factor for the females.
The trainings are practical on the forestry aspect whereas the training on other topics covering livestock, banking procedures etc. are more theoretical and the technique is lecture method with a little discussion. The target groups like to have training on veterinary skill.
The trainers seldom use existing training materials during the farmers' trainings. Although the training materials available are impressive they still require further improvement to effectively communicate with the beneficiaries at the lowest level of comprehension particularly with women and illiterate audiences.
A CASE Ad incident was observed by the Consultant in this respect in Kavre district, ] Sirishghari leasehold forestry group. Twelve women and ten males participated in a farmers' training (May 1995) provided by the project. Most of them were husbands and wives. The training was delivered by SFDP personnel (two male officers Jon bank loan procedure. During the training which continued for four hours, altogether twelve questions were asked by the male participants whereas not a single woman expressed anything, not to say about putting questions. When asked privately why they retrained silent, many of them said that they felt embarrassed to speak in front of the makes, both their husbands and the trainers. They expressed that it would have bean easier it one of the trainers were female, "We are women, how can they understand our problems?" This was the answer of most of the female participants. This in order to empower them with technical knowledge, these is the need to create at. appropriate environment for self-expression. Without achieving effective communication, how can one expect for effective transfer of knowledge add skill to this dominated and marginalised group? |
Recommendations
A critical monitoring can be helpful to find out what is working and what should be improved in the area of the farmers' training in its all aspects, specifically with regard to the nature and degree of wives' participation.
It is recommended that the trainers' teams will greatly benefit by including female trainers.
It is recommended that the trainers' must be trained in the technique of participatory training methods, effective communication with women as well as men.
The trainings conducted should reap maximum benefits out of the participatory process adopted to improve the existing training materials by involving the farmers and drawing on their input so that the training materials acquire a language and form of expression which can be more effective and easily understood by all farmers alike. The training materials could have inputs of the farmers such as simple drawings and phrases developed as understood seen and expressed by them during the trainings. It can also include successful cases on livestock development, credit use, women's initiatives, land development and such other related topics collected from the project area itself. The materials can include big sized posters with colourful sketches for the illiterates.
It is recommended that the training venue for the groups should continue to be the local places just as is being done at present.
It is recommended that the following training should be conducted for the personal development of the target people.
a. Community Leadership development
b. Capacity development in management aspect
c. Community Saving and Credit
d. Gender Sensitization for the grassroot groups.
e. Proposal development for micro-level forestry projects
The existing training on veterinary skill for community volunteers should be given to more farmers.
The provision of bank loan is working to be a wonderful incentive for the groups. However, as mentioned before it has different implications for men and women. Nepalese women still don't enjoy unconditional equal legal right to land in the way the men do. So bank loan might not prove to be a practical assistance for the poor females; rather it may create an extra burden for them. It may discourage or effect their participation in a negative way in the long run.
Recommendations
It is suggested that the bank should develop special criteria for soft loan provision for the target groups, specifically women aimed at by the project on the basis of its special focus on "involving deprived group of people for the development of the degraded forest areas".
It is recommended that the bank identify other practical alternatives, such as, certified qualifying criteria based on skills to serve as collateral instead of land only. In such cases, the local VDC can also give some kind of guarantee for extremely deprived women, including landless families. In this case, the bank can modify its provision according to the recommendation already made by the project, approved by IFAD and ADB/N which calls for the establishment of a Credit Gurantee Fund so that collateral can be waived.
It is recommended that the bank loans can be given for promoting more productive activities, such as running a fair price shop, cooperatives, herbal processing or small business entrepreneurship development for the female household heads and landless groups which can help them indirectly to earn money for hiring labour for land development. This way the loan repayment becomes less risky.
It is recommended that the project can explore the possibility of initiating provision for group loans for development in the social sector such as construction of drinking water system or organising activities like education for all. The communities can be oriented on these issues by the NGOs or being the first of its kind the operation of such loans can be given even through the established NGOs for smooth management for experiment.
Technical Advice
The females as well as the males find the technical advice and information provided by the project very valuable. Prior to this project specifically the women were seldom involved in forestry activities directly by outsiders. They have taken it as a chance for their prestige and empowerment.
However, in several cases, there has been a trend of transferring knowledge, information and advice based on the theoretical aspects from the side of the project staff.
Recommendations
It is suggested that the project should adopt a two-way learning process. It could also benefit by exploiting the chance to collect information about the indigenous knowledge of the women, specifically with regard to wild herbs and many other aspects of the minor forest products, specific to their own areas. This will indirectly help the target women to build up more confidence because they will be able to speak out what they know in a way the men do.
In fact, they should be discussing and learning to discover the potentials lying within themselves.
The project also will be able to identify the right choice of species with help of their knowledge to be adopted for nursery development and other plantation activities.
The project is being implemented through an innovative institutional arrangement, but regarding participation of people, it should be more realistic. Indigenous knowledge of the local people should be encouraged rather than providing all exotic ideas only. It is recommended that a mixture of both will be beneficial for the long term continuity of the project.
A proposal was made by the Project Coordination Committee for providing scholarships to girls belonging to the poorest category and from the group members' families. This is a very encouraging incentive for girls to go to formal schools. The implementation is still due. The leasehold forestry groups, specifically women have started taking interest in it. At the same time the target women groups are very fond of acquiring literacy and numeracy skill through non-formal education classes at their own convenient time.
Recommendations
It is recommended that suitable policies have to be developed for the smooth and effective implementation of the girls scholarship programme before implementation.
Along with the classes run by SFDP, the NGO's working in this field should be given the responsibility to conduct participatory non-formal classes for womens' groups' as well as the implementation of the scholarship programme.
A special grant should be developed by the project for this purpose. Because education is the most important tool for empowering women who are left far behind in the field of development by men. The NGO's should be involved in this activity.
The non-formal classes not only help them to learn literacy and numeracy but also develop group spirit for meaningful group functioning.
Savings formed around such non-formal and also forestry development groups are working very well in many projects operating in Nepal. In this context, reference can be made to the concept of Gramin Bank which is working wonderfully in the terrain areas of Nepal among the poorest groups. It is recommended that the existing group saving activity the target groups in this project area should be monitored, supported and strengthened by mutual effort of the target people and the project. The NGO experiences can be of immense assistance in this matter.
The project has the ultimate aim to achieve sustainability of its approach and activities. The institutional arrangement set up by the project is the step taken towards it. The people are being involved in all the activities. Women are being recognised as the actual users and managers of the forest and are being intensively involved. The deprived ethnic groups are being involved in the project activities.
After putting all this hard effort by the project team, line agencies, there are some areas of weaknesses in the project operation which need immediate attention of the project. The most important of them is that there is the need for developing conceptual clarity among the target people about the nature, objectives and the limitations of the project. Although the project has some innovativeness in its strategies, it is being implemented in a traditional technique so far which needs to be improved through introducing PRA tools and techniques.
The project is being confined to its limited area only. However, one cannot deny that development efforts get effected strongly by the contextual factors. The project has the provisions for supply of seeds, saplings etc. for other villagers besides the target groups. It is somehow not a very effective means of mobilising the support of the public in favour of the leasehold forestry groups. The project cannot work in isolation in the long run. Nor these groups can sustain peacefully.
Recommendations
The NGOs can be involved to work in a broader prospect outside the project boundary by enabling them to get access to revolving fund from the bank or special fund created by the project. This way, the women and the deprived groups could be better assisted and also some of the neighbour groups.
The project can think of organising cottage industries involving the Cottage Industries Development Board or NGOs for creating the base for long term industrial types of income generation in the rural areas. As for an example, processing of herbs can be taught and equipment be supplied to the women and men groups. Paper making can be another alternative where there is "lokta" (daphne papyracea) Sericulture can also be organised by groups of poorer men or women. The production of marketable items (not just the traditional type of tailoring, knitting) should be planned by the project through intensive discussion with the farmers. Recycling of papers, litters can be taught by the NGOs involved in the areas which can raise the awareness about the use of environmentally safer activities. The project should think about its future impact related to the forestry development, not just for the present.
The project does not emphasise on mobilising the young children of today in project activities. The young generation, the future population are being attracted day by day by the comfortable job employment or chances for higher studies in the town areas. It is also not convincing that only the development of the degraded land can discourage migration of the youth. Otherwise, who will be responsible to continue what has been done by their parents?
Recommendations
The project should divert a portion of its resources for educating the children, both boys and girls on the environmental aspects in their local context.
As has been observed by the Project Chief, Mr. B.K. Khanal, "The successful project implementation is based on proper planning with proper data base and timely monitoring to produce positive effect from it."
The project has very well organised system for monitoring its achievements, both process and results. The workshop held in November 1994 on "Project Monitoring and Evaluation" was successful to identify effective indicators for monitoring the project performance and impact. The project is in favour of objective monitoring.
However, although the importance for monitoring the involvement of women in the project activities and decision making has been recognised by all, there seems to be a lacking of developing a proper gender specific monitoring mechanism with indicators developed during the workshop. As in the practice also it is found that the physical presence of women along with the men is being counted as indicator for women's involvement.
As has been pointed out by Mr. Umans in his presentation during the workshop, "Gender specific monitoring goes further than monitoring the number of sexually different human beings involved in the project. It requires information on men's and women's socially and culturally division of labour, their access to and control over resources, and their decision making role..
Besides all the practiced monitoring indicators, certain indicators tend to be vital for monitoring the change in the relationship of power between men and women; thus to monitor the process and result of empowerment. It is a bit subjective but measurable. As for example, in case of resource allocation, the distribution can be monitored related to men and women separately.
"Who is getting what ?", In case of decision making, "Who decides what and how many times?", "What kind of controlling role of men/women seems to change as a result of development effort of the project?" "At what level the women and men are participating?" -Extension workers, Officers, Trainers, Executives, Policy makers, Community Volunteers, Manual labourers only.... ?" etc.
Recommendations
It is recommended that the project has to develop the system of gender sensitive participatory monitoring whereby the people will learn along with the project staff what is working and what has to be improved in the field of empowering the women as well as men. The females should be involved (if possible) in such participatory monitoring in a specific group to analyze the facts about their achievements, constraints and failure. The target groups should know what indicators they should look for. This can be achieved also through their participatory discussion.
It is recommended that although the project has a set list of indicators, it can help the target people to set their own indicators as well. The monitoring process should be institutionalised not only within the project officials but also within the target groups.
Likewise, participatory evaluation should be an integral part of the project.
Participatory monitoring and evaluation will help the system sustain among the women and men of the leasehold forestry groups. They will be more well informed by themselves, organised for further actions within themselves. This will lead to continue the process for empowering the actual users or contributors since through this exercise they become capable of identifying the necessity to close the gaps between the contribution and benefits, and thereby the gaps lying between the present contribution and the potential contribution. The gaps must be brought closer; otherwise the long term interest of the real beneficiaries might get effected negatively and sustainability can never be achieved.
The project has expressed deep concerns for maintaining gender sensitivity throughout the projects aspects. The Project Appraisal mentions a specific section on the involvement of women as beneficiaries. The project TA unit has also made some efforts to integrate gender trainings in its training activities. The paper developed by Mr. Umans, namely "The project and gender sensitivity" spells out the need for institutionalisation of gender sensitization. However, the project implementation action plans have been prepared so far without addressing gender considerations in an appropriate way.
It was also found that there is a gap of understanding among the project personnels about the basic concepts of gender sensitivity.
A training was organised by the TA unit and conducted by the Consultant on Gender. Analysis and PRA for the JT and Rangers from which several recommendations are being drawn up for future strengthening of this kind of trainings at all levels. As the project staff are yet to receive all kinds of support for their work in the field they felt that all personnel involved at different levels of the project must be trained on this issue.
It is recommended that very careful steps have to be taken by the project to integrate gender considerations into the project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Immediate action recommended is that the project should a organise a series of workshops on "Strategic Gender Planning" for three levels as follows:
1. A three days workshop for the policy level
2. A five days workshop for all the implementation level project staff of all the working districts
3. A three days workshop for the NGO personnels
It is recommended that further training programmes on gender issues should be developed after an evaluation of the impact of these workshops only.
