The IGFF gracefully organized a two-day provincial meeting in Lumbini Province on 23-24 th April 2023, where participants from 11 districts of Lumbini province gathered. A total of 33 esteemed associates of IGFF, graced the event.
During the provincial consultation, panelists Susan, Rita, Gaura, and Sarita engaged in insightful discussions on the feminist movement. They illuminated its rich history, the challenges it has faced, and its profound connections to broader social and political movements. The need for gender equality, the empowerment of marginalized groups, and the remarkable progress made by the LGBTIQ movement were emphasized.
During the meeting, participants shared various challenges faced during their activism and their impact on the women’s movement in Nepal. These challenges included discrimination against women with disabilities, difficulties faced by the LGBTIQ community in obtaining citizenship, misuse of gender-responsive budgeting, increased corruption, substance abuse affecting women, misuse of quotas for women’s representation, rising gender-based violence, issues of meter-interest, and female feticide.
During engaging conversations with local stakeholders, Deputy Mayor Uma Adhikari gracefully shared her personal journey, delving into the complex role women play in perpetuating patriarchal structures. She emphasized the importance of challenging these structures to attain true gender equality and highlighted commendable practices implemented in Siddhartha Municipality.
Regarding membership expansion and the Women Empowerment Fund, participants discussed collaborating with like-minded individuals and institutions, sharing IGFF’s feminist position paper, emphasizing the fund’s importance, increasing visibility, engaging male champions, addressing intersectionality, organizing capacity-building programs, and promoting a gender-responsive budget.
Participants expressed their utmost admiration for the IGFF network, applauding its non-hierarchical and inclusive structure. This empowering framework allowed them to raise their voices and enact meaningful change. They wholeheartedly committed to expanding the organization’s membership and contributing to the Women Empowerment Fund, recognizing its pivotal role in political empowerment. United in their beliefs, they envisioned that collective efforts within IGFF would fortify the women’s movement in Nepal, ultimately leading to the realization of its goals.
Overall, the provincial consultation proved to be a resounding success, achieving its objectives of raising awareness about IGFF, elucidating its structure and role, and fostering a deep sense of commitment among its members for membership expansion and the increment of the Women Empowerment Fund. The event cultivated solidarity, forged connections, and nurtured profound emotional bonds among the participants, fortifying their unwavering dedication to the growth and fortification of the women’s movement in Nepal.
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