Gender equality and social inclusion strategy

The government of Nepal's local infrastructure development policy (2004) aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of local people and improve access to basic services, economic opportunities and resources among women, the disabled, Dalits and other oppressed groups. This objective is consistent with the government of Finland’s development policy which recognises that lack of access to basic services among the poor, low economic status, exclusion and illiteracy are root causes of poverty and conflict in Nepal that need to be urgently addressed. The Rural Village Water Resources Management Project (RVWRMP) is a continuation of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Support Programme (RWSSSP) supported by the governments of Nepal and Finland since 1989. The RVWRMP has the objectives of improving the quality of life of local people, environmental conditions, and rural livelihoods opportunities through equitable and sustainable integrated water resource planning and use. The scope of the project has expanded from rural water supply and sanitation schemes alone to include integrated water resource management including micro-irrigation, hydropower and environmental protection. It also works with a broad range of partners including the Ministry of Local Development/ DoLIDAR, local government institutions (DDCs, VDCs), district line agency offices and NGOs. The project further co-operates closely with the Water Resource Management Project of Helvetas (WARM-P), Rural Energy Development Program (REDP) of the WB/UNDP and APEC and the Community Based Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (CBWSSSP) of the Asian Development Bank and the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS). Based on its extensive project implementation experience, sector learning and the reality arising from the changes in the political situation since April 2006, RVWRMP recognises the need to strengthen its gender equality and social inclusion programming. The previous approach taken under RWSSSP focused primarily on integrating gender dimensions into project work, the hiring of a permanent Gender Specialist and, in 2004,
carrying out a gender audit. This audit generally endorsed RWSSSP's approach to gender sensitive programming and several key recommendations have now been taken forward in RVWRMP's HRD policies and project strategies.

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