Kanchan Lama, WOCAN Board member, discussed future path for improving Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) strategies of the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) on the expert panel of the Sixth National Community Forestry Workshop in Nepal. The workshop was organized by Community Forestry Division of the Department of Forests, from 16-18 June in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Kanchan highlighted that although participation of women and excluded groups has increased the quality of their participation and ability to influence decisions is still an area of concern. She called on stronger political commitment of the implementing agency, mobilize the already established GEPSE task group within the Ministry to coordinate gender equality poverty and socially excluded issues; formed of GESI focal person, coordinator of MoFSC, representatives of Hariyo Ban program, multi stakeholder forestry program (MSFP), FECOFUC, HIMAWANTI and COFSUN (training NGO for CF); and other experts. She also emphasized the need to build change agents not only at grassroots level but also within the Ministry to shoulder the responsibility of influencing structures and systems for transformation.
Dibya Gurung , WOCAN Core Associate, facilitated the sessions on the ‘Tenure, Governance and Policy’ where 11 papers on Gender, Social Exclusion and Governance were presented by academicians, policy makers and development practioners. At the end of the workshop, the theme submitted the key emerging issues and recommendations to the workshop committee.