Samaan Aawaaj: Intersectional Democratic Spaces in Nepal and Bangladesh

The  Samaan Aawaaj project – which translates  to “Equal Voice” and reflects  an  intersectional approach to women’s leadership and Inclusive governance– responds to Global Affairs Canada’s Call for Strengthening Civil Society and Democratic Spaces in the Indo- Pacific 2024-2028.This innovative women’s rights and empowerment (WRE) and inclusive governance initiative will be implemented in partnership with two women’s rights organizations (WRO) in Nepal, The Story Kitchen (TSK) and Didi Bahini (DB), as well as a well-established non- governmental organization (NGO) partner in Bangladesh, the  Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB). The project directly focuses on promoting women from grassroots, Indigenous communities as well as religious minorities (henceforth referred to  as “women”) in leadership positions.

Samaan Aawaaj is based on innovation and strategic partnerships, promoting South-South collaboration and knowledge sharing, with coordination, facilitative, and technical support from  the  Coady Institute.    Coady will sign the program and  financial  agreements with GAC and assume fiduciary responsibility as lead agency through the Board of Governors of St Francis Xavier University (StFX).

The project will focus on promoting women in leadership positions and supporting key stakeholders in the enabling environment (including families, community members, key responsibility holders, and duty bearers) to strengthen opportunities for the meaningful engagement of women (in all their diversities) in decision-making processes.

In Bangladesh, Plain land Adivasi (Indigenous) community members tend to have lower levels of education and are significantly underrepresented in positions of power. Power dynamics in these areas are heavily influenced by the struggle for land rights and economic dependency. This can create dependency on local non-Indigenous elites. Access to essential services like education and healthcare is often limited in Adivasi areas, perpetuating cycles of poverty and marginalization. Neither men nor women actively participate in Union Council (Parishad) elections. Traditional forms of leadership, such Manjhi Haram or Pargana Parishad, play a significant role in managing community affairs, resolving disputes and preserving cultural practices. If these two bodies fail to resolve any issue, they seek assistance from Union Councils. The limited representation of Adivasi communities in local and national government affects their ability to advocate effectively for their rights and interests. As a result, justice is often inadequate, and complaints are not effectively addressed. Moreover, the entire grievance process lacks anonymity, potentially discouraging individuals from coming forward with their issues.

Project Area:

The designated areas for project implementation include primarily Indigenous and religious minorities. The project covers 14 Union Councils in Bangladesh’s Dinajpur District. 7 Unions and 1 Municipality in Fulbari  Sub-district  and 7 Unions in Nawabganj  Sub-district.

Target Participants: Overall estimated total population of 322,000 across  countries. The project will directly benefit an estimated 950 current and potential women leaders through training, knowledge co-creation and sharing, and networking. Estimated networks will be engaged in project activities as well as  CBO/WROs. The overall estimated number of indirect beneficiaries, including community members and LG departments.

Outcomes:

ULTIMATE OUTCOME

Improved equality and enjoyment of human rights by grassroots, Dalit, Indigenous, and religious minority women and girls rights holders living in poorest, most marginalized conditions in Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Indo-Pacific.

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES

  • Increased meaningful participation of grassroots, Dalit, Indigenous and religious minority women living in poorest, most marginalized conditions in Nepal and Bangladesh in public leadership, decision-making and democratic processes.
  • Increased transparency and accountability in inclusive, gender-responsive public planning and service delivery for Dalit, Indigenous and religious minority women and girls rights holders in Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Indo-Pacific.

IMMEDIATE OUTCOMES

  • Increased leadership capacity of existing and potential grassroots, Dalit, Indigenous and religious minority women duty bearers in local government (disaggregated by above, LGBTQI+ and disability)
  • Increased support of communities (including men and boys) and traditional/religious leaders on the importance of women’s leadership role in inclusive governance
  • Increased ability of local government (LG) to plan and implement equitable, sustainable, and inclusive service delivery.
  • Increased engagement of women leaders, WROs, CSOs, and networks in inclusive citizen-led accountability in Nepal, Bangladesh and other Indo-Pacific countries

 

Outputs

  1. Feminist Leadership training provided for existing and potential duty bearers.
  2. Awareness and learning campaigns in support of women’s leadership conducted with community stakeholders (men, women and youth, religious and community leaders, media).
  3. Local government workshops facilitated on power analysis, critical self- reflection and feminist leadership.
  4. Women leaders/CBOs/WROs/networks trained on inclusive citizen-led accountability practices and advocacy.
  5. “Learning and linking “systems co-developed to expand capacities and connections between existing and potential women leaders.
  6. Inter-generational Dialogues conducted with political parties/leaders on women’s leadership potential.
  7. Local government members trained on inclusive transparency and accountability practices.
  8. Local media trained on investigative methods for promoting accountability
  9. Dialogues facilitated among grassroots, Indigenous, and religious minority women leaders, WROs, CSOs, networks, and LG
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