VOL. 05, NO. 03, July 22, 2011 (Shrawan 06, 2068)

By RADHA PAUDEL

Who are Women Human Rights Defenders? What are they doing? Where? Are they facing challenges now? Will they face them in the long run? Who are responsible to speak for them? These questions need to be recognized and answered.

Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) are activists who raise voices against violation of human rights. Their history begins with Yogmaya and continues till date. However, on behalf of various civil society organizations, WHRDs have been working more systematically since the time of Maoist insurgency. They are distinguished from Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) and women associated with paralegal committees by their roles and responsibilities.

Usually, WHRDs gather information, investigate and report on violations of human rights as they know them in line with their Terms of Reference (ToR). They may also go beyond that because; i) the scope of human rights is very wide. So, they are heavily engaged in protecting, promoting and exercising the civil, social, cultural, political and economical right of women, men and transgender groups. They belong to activists groups of all kinds, child right, women right, domestic violence, disputes/conflict, land right, property right, food right, sexual and reproductive right, disability right, right of minority groups, rape, torture, discrimination, enforced disappearance, extortions, dalit right, minority rights etc ii) the rights, roles, responsibilities, and places are also gendered, iii) they always stand against violence of any form, iv) they are easily available as volunteers, v) they represent the same caste, class,region, religion (mostly at the local level), vii) they are recognized by the community, vii) they organize themselves in networks and federations and viii) they always stand at risks, and challenges beyond the comfort zones etc. They are now working across the country under various organizational hats of political parties and professions, e.g. independent journalists.

Unfortunately, their human rights are violated by political leaders, perpetrators and sometimes by government service providers, including police, chief district officers, and village secretaries etc. Their risks and threats range from unnecessary accusation, character assassination, sexual harassment, court cases, family/social exclusion, and telephonic threats for kidnapping to death as well.

In this situation, WHRDs are facing the following major challenges; i) work overload, their work starts since early in the morning and they also have to wake up at mid night e.g. when the incidence or violence happens. By experience, violence occurs during festival and planting season, so WHRDs are unable to give time to their own business, ii) multiple hats, they lose the identity or support during crisis and are used as guided by facilitation/funding agency, iii) economically poor or dependent on their family members, so they are always in stress for managing daily stuff such as their travel, communication expenses, iv) having inadequate skills and knowledge on ongoing changes in policies, guidelines, technology, language etc.

Thus, regardless of the hats of WHRDs and their facilitating agencies,WHRDs are suffering injustice themselves or exploited by the facilitating agencies. Most of WHRDs come from the poor and marginalized communities. Emotionally, they are down to earth and work with their minds and hearts for emancipation from injustice, discrimination and violence of all forms. But none of the system is taking care of them and their future. They are mobilized as project based activities in the beginning, later the activism starts, because, they are neither able to keep silent nor the community leaves them.

Thus, WHRDs work for ever to protect, promote and respect human rights, but their own human rights are always undermined. Their identity and efforts are highlighted occasionally and limited within the day’s celebrations.

To this end, the following points should be carried out seriously; i) avoid multiple hats, naming and faming. Because most of WHRDs or activists or human rights workers are doing similar jobs or they are totally different from Female Community Health Volunteers and Paralegal women. Funding agencies should come up with single working modality or strategy as well as making them accountable towards success as well as challenges. They have to clearly mention their organizational position in case of risks and threats. Naming and faming is not the concern of WHRDs especially at local level, ii) ensure the system for economic independence, including provisions of the identity card, insurance,  provident fund or any scheme for them, iii) capacity building of WHRDs as their interest, capacity and aspirations. Think more loudly in terms of sustainability of these skills and knowledge including training on report writing, computer training, proposal writing, language etc

PRISM
For Poverty Reduction

With support from the European Union, Practical Action has launched a program to reduce the incidence of poverty among informal workers involved in solid waste management

By A CORRESSPONDENT

Sakhiva Khatun, who lives in a slum at the bank of Bagmati River in Teku, at the heart of capital Kathmandu, is serving the people cleaning the garbage from different parts of the city. Although she supports the cleaning of the city without any formal job, Khatum is yet to receive any recognition or respect from the government and the public.

“All the people hate us and even stray dogs bark at us. Known as Khate, we are the most hated people in the city,” said Khatum. Despite her work in an unhygienic environment of the garbage dumping sites of the river, her family generates around only about Rs.250.00 (US$3.5) a day.

"I have to wake up every day at 2 in the morning to collect garbage from various parts of the city.  We buy our daily necessity by selling the garbage.  As I am sick I have not been able to work for the past 20 days. I therefore do not have any income or any food to eat. People often shout at us when we collect their waste, which is very humiliating," said Sakhiya Khatun, one of many waste pickers.

Ram Pukar Das, 38, from Janakpur, has a similar story to share. “We are living in a situation where we have to struggle hard to make for one meal. During the rainy session, we have to sleep without meal,” said Das, an informal garbage collector.

Khatun and Pukar are among many who have been living in a dire situation, below the poverty line. Informal workers in solid waste management are often worse off.

 It is estimated that there are between 10,000 and 15,000 waste pickers in the valley. Ignored for years by government, these workers are now heaving a sigh of relief thanks to Practical Action, an international non-governmental organization.

With support from the European Union, Practical Action is implementing the project targeting 4,000 Informal Waste Workers (IWWs) within five municipalities of Kathmandu Valley- Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City, Bhaktapur Municipality, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality and Kirtipur will be directly benefitted.  The project expects that the situation will be changed following the completion of the program

Although these workers play a vital role in dealing with the waste generated in the valley, the profession harbors negative stigma unrecognized by the society as well as the local and state authorities.`

Everyone, who has been crossing the Bagmati bridges, just does not bother to notice the rag collectors, popularly known as Khates. Practical Action, an INGO, however, realized that these people should not go unnoticed. It sought support from European Union, and launched Poverty Reduction of Informal Workers in Solid Waste Management Sector (PRISM).

Looking at the painful conditions or urban poor, the European Union and Practical Action have joined hands to help improve the situation and 4,000 informal workers in the solid waste management will benefit from some social protection schemes.

According to a press release of the European Union, it is giving EUR 1,253,125 to the PRISM Project (Poverty Reduction of Informal Workers in Solid Waste Management Sector) implemented by Practical Action, which has provided 20 percent of the total project cost (EUR 1,566,406). The PRISM project will ameliorate the living conditions of waste pickers, who are among the poorest people in the Kathmandu area and are socially and economically exploited. One of major parts of the project is that thirty five per cent of the project beneficiaries will be women.

Right now they lead a life of humiliation and oppression in the absence of any social protection measures. The project will help make their lives and work more dignified. The primary objective of the project is to improve the living conditions of these informal workers involved in managing solid waste. The project seeks to raise their income by 30 percent, reduce the negative stigma attached to the profession, improve their working conditions and help them benefit from social protection schemes.

As Practical Action mobilizes various other organizations, the project will be a model in Nepal.  Practical Action will implement the project with its local partner, the Centre for Integrated Urban Development (CIUD). Project associates are Solid Waste Management and Resource Management Centre (SWMRMC), UN-Habitat, Water for Asian Cities Program Nepal, and Nepal Re-use and Recyclable Goods Entrepreneurs Association (NRRGEA).

The three-year project will cover the municipalities inside the Kathmandu Valley: Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Lalitpur Sub Metropolitan City, Bhaktapur, Madhyapur Thimi and Kirtipur.

Launching the program Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the European Union Delegation to Nepal, Lluis Navarro said European Union was pleased to support this kind of program which will directly benefit the poor people. “I am very glad to say that this program will change the status and dignity of the garbage collectors as well,” said Navarro.

“We want to work in urban areas to contribute to solve the urban poverty. After completion of this project, the future of garbage collectors who live in urban slums, will be different from what it is now,” said Achyut Luitel, country director, Practical Action. “As we have also worked with European Union in the past, I am optimistic about the project’s future,” said Luitel.

Although the project will be implemented by Practical Action, the municipalities will also benefit from it. Under secretary of Ministry of Local Development Binod Singh said,” Ministry of Local Development wants to see this is a model project and it can be replicated to other municipalities also.

The primary objective of the project is to improve the living conditions of these informal workers involved in managing solid waste.

Member secretary of Social Welfare Council Dr. Chewang Namgel (Lama) Sherpa said that government effort cannot alone enough to improve the livelihood of the poor people. International non-governmental organizations like Practical Action should be encouraged in this sector. “We are ready to provide all necessary support to the project,” said Sherpa.

With the resources of Nepal’s major donor European Union and expertise of Practical Action and involvement of various other national and international stake holders and local groups, PRISM can develop to be an example in urban poverty alleviation.

Know, Then Claim Your Rights

By Julia Guenther

Leaders of teachers’ trade unions from India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka had been invited to visit Kathmandu from July 2-4, 2011 for a three-day workshop to further their leadership skills and to learn about best practices of other countries.

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nepal (FES Nepal) and Education International (EI) collaborated in the framework of the Trade Union Rights Network South Asia to support teachers’ trade unions of SAARC countries on the enforcement of their rights in order to promote gender equality and social justice. Some 35 trade union representatives, with 10 male members, participated in the workshop. The workshop aimed at gaining essential insights for a strong performance in collective bargaining, claiming further rights and enabling leaders to take an active part in the national and international gender-debate. Furthermore, the workshop aimed to prepare an internal guideline on the implementation of gender equality within the trade union itself. The workshop trainers Shashi Bala Singh and Rey Dichoso Dolot were programme coordinators with profound knowlegde about UN instruments, complaint procedures and ILO supervisory mechanisms with focus on ILO core conventions, UN Commission on Status of Women and on CEDAW. The knowledge about rights and methodology leads to the increase of the leader’s self-confidence. The Asia-Pacific Sub-Region of EI had prepared the workshop concept including lecture presentations, group work and plenary sessions, enriched by presentations on MDGs, CEDAW and Migration & Human Rights held by Nepali Experts-Keshav Bhattarai, Babita Basnet and Saktida Singh. This mixture created a lively and result-oriented atmosphere.

The rights of trade unions in South Asia—human rights—are frequently violated by the governments, employers and armed groups. Profound knowledge was provided on ILO Core Conventions as well as on C183 Maternity Protection Benefits. One group work session outlined the status of ratification and legislations of each country with the result that core conventions mostly had been ratified, however, the implementation hit a snag. The workshop provided the know-how on forcing the implementation of ratified conventions. First of all, trade unionists should prefer social dialogue on equal level with the government. If the government refuses to recognize the trade unions’ demands, action should be raised to increase the public pressure on the government (name & shame). If the government still shows resistance, trade unionists will have to take up legal steps in order to force the government to implement the conventions it once had ratified.

These hard facts were embraced by superordinate principles. The principle of solidarity was mentioned, especially networking via internet as this platform is out of the government’s reach. The principle of mainstreaming was outlined in three dimensions: 1) Women and men must not work in isolation; parallel tracks will even increase the gender gap. Activities of women and men must be channelled as one mainstream. 2) In terms of state budgeting, trade unions will have to bring gender issues into the mainstream of issues on the agenda in order to raise the budget. So far, there has been reserved little budget for gender issues only. 3) Trade union leaders will have to train and bind young union members to form a future leadership committed to a mainstreamed mission in long-term perspective. Using this knowledge, the participants worked on an action plan specific to their countries which will be set up more precisely and implemented in near future. EI will provide full support during this process, however, EI will have a look on the trade unions’ eager activism on this also.

With the workshop coming to an end, the participants agreed on the broad extension of their knowlegde resulting from the thematic and methodological richness of the workshop. It gave chance to start building up a network among participants. A multilingual manual on the ILO Core Conventions will be prepared in collaboration. Exercising equality as an intrinsic component of human rights, acting as a role model for their members and their students, inducing changes by sharing their knowledge—that is what all participants will work on in future. Dev Raj Dahal, Head of Nepal FES concluded that success of trade unions lies on solidarity and collective action.

(Author is is from Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany)