Multipurpose Village Women Group Clinic: Proper Utilization of Women Focused Budget

Prakash Paudel, Village Development Committee (VDC) Secretary of Mahadevsthan in Dhading stated that until two years ago, the women focused budgets of Mahadevsthan VDC, were spent in road construction. However, since last year, with the lobbying of the women groups of the VDC who became aware of the targeted budget through the Social Mobilization Program of LGCDP II, now has diverted the budget to establish and strengthen Village Women Group Clinics.

Village Women Group Clinic at Ward Number 5 of Mahadevsthan VDC provides maternal health care services and vaccination via Village Health Worker, avails early childhood education to their children, and provides general medicines such as, antiseptics and citamol. In addition, the Clinic has become a venue for holding regular meeting of the Women Group.  This was made possible with the active engagement of the Women Group - a group of 27 women that constitutes of marginalized groups, mainly Chepang, Bhujel, Dalit, and Tamang. Shanti Nepal, a local NGO supported in the formation of groups with the objective of empowering women and working for their rights.

The Women Group had the opportunity to learn about VDC planning process, annual planning, and policy provision of women focused budget and programme through social mobilization programme of the VDC, said Nirmala Bhujel, a Social Mobilizer of the LGCDP II Programme. Likewise, the Women group also became aware on accessing VDC resources to fund development initiatives. Thus, the Women Group became encouraged to attend regular VDC meetings, thereby empowered to be involved in the local level planning process.

The group sensed that women focused budgets had not been spent properly. Hence, they lobbied with the VDC Council to construct a multipurpose Village Women Group Clinic in their ward last year from the women targeted budget. The Mahadevsthan VDC Council allocated Rs, 80,000 to support the construction. The total estimated cost of the building was Rs. 5, 00,000 during the fiscal year 2071/72. The group then accessed Rs. 50,000 from DDC. Local NGOs - Shanti Nepal and Prayas Nepal extended its support for building the roofs, providing furniture and carpets respectively. Additionally, each member of the Women Group on an average contributed Rs. 5000 each.

Thus, the Women Group became empowered after getting information on targeted budget via social mobilization programme of VDC, thereby rightly directing the budget in supporting women via formation of multipurpose Village Women Group Clinic.

The report was prepared based on consultation with Mahadevsthan VDC Secretary, Social Mobiliser and a few women in Mahadevsthan on 14^th march 2015.