South Asia Young Women Leaders Program

Young Women Leaders (YWLs) is a group of young girls aged 12 to 16 learning and working together under the Global Fund for Women (GFW) and CREA guidelines. This YWLs group is focusing on building movement for the rights of women and girls in their community. These selected Community Level Young Women/ Girls become leader who encourages other girls to be a leader. They support in raising voice against sexual abuse in schools, family and community. Besides, they support in taking forward the movement for change, construct an innovative model of mentorship and peer support to bridge current gaps among older and younger feminist activists and between young activists themselves in order to break isolation, build solidarity, foster mutual learning and support and enhance sustainability.

Considering the goal of this project, Bikalpa Nepal has selected 20 Young girls from five different schools in Kathmandu district and working issues around Sexual Harassment to raise awareness in the respective community. These schools are low paying schools and most of the children’s family belongs to marginalized group with low economic status. These Community level Young Women Leaders are from grade 7 to 9. Bikalpa Nepal believes on the power of Kishoree. This is a foundation age for change as they become mature enough to know what's going and can bring strong and positive change all around. In total population, half of the adolescences are in schools and schools are effective medium for the empowerment of these Kishoree. The reason for choosing theseyoung school going girls isgender inequality. There are number of young school girls who have no voice against sexual violence though they are facing harassment almost every day. They are obligated to keep calm because they are forced not to be exposed by school administration, teachers and sometimes from their family members and most of the girl children got harassed as they are not aware of it as well. In this situation, they need lots of encouragement inorder to speak up against the violence.

GOAL

The goal of this project is to create a group of young women leaders (YWLs) from different government and non- government school with enhanced leadership skills. Their leadership will focus on movement building and awareness on sexual harassment in their respective schools.

Objectives :

• Identify the Young Women Leaders and develop feminist leadership skill
• Sensitize children and young people about sexual harassment
• Advocate for the Kishoree and women right issues
• Advocate for the Kishoree and women right issues
• Practice the leadership qualities and create peer support to address current gaps between older and younger feminist activists and between activists themselves and create safe space for peer learning, support and exchange of skills and knowledge among the Community Young Women Leaders