Rural Women’s Leadership in Nepal and Philippines
This IFAD-supported Rural Women Leadership Building Program that is being implemented in Nepal and the Philippines has have the following activities:
1. Rural Women's Leadership Development Training of Trainers' Workshop Report 27 February - 3 March 2010
The workshop brought together representatives of Nepal Peasants Association (NPA), All Nepal Peasants Federation (ANPFa), All Nepal Peasants Association, 2007 B.S, and Himawanti, a regional network of women forest users. All the above mentioned farmers federations were represented by their women farmers' wings and two men from each federation. There were twenty three participants including eighteen women and five men from across the country.
The two main objectives of the workshop were (a) to reflect on and understand what "women's leadership" means (b) to find out how men can support women's leadership. Dr Barun Gurung, Kanchan Lama, Sukhmaya Bohara, Nawraj Gurung, Buddhi Tamang facilitated the training, whereas Bubu Saha from Orissa, India provided critical review on the training. Facilitators led the participants to reflect, analyze and absorb the lessons about reframing leadership through role plays, games, singing, story-telling, group work, presentations and plenary sessions.
2. Training Workshop: Rural Women's Leadership Program in the Philippines, May 28-31, 2010
The training had two parts. The first part was a Training of Trainers, conducted on May 24-27, with 7 participants: 5 women, 2 men; 5 staff members, and 2 farmers. Topics covered include: sex and gender concepts, gender mainstreaming, gender and leadership. On the fourth day, the resource persons and the newly-trained Trainers outlined the course that they will manage with a larger group of participants.
The second part was a Leadership Training Course for a larger group, consisting of 21 men and 14 women members of top leadership structures of PAKISAMA, namely the National Council (10 men, 5 women), the National Executive Committee (6 men, 1 woman), the LAKAMBINI Executive Committee (4 women), Senior Management Staff (5 men, 4 women). Topics discussed were: gender awareness concepts (first day), gender mainstreaming (second day), alternative leadership (third day) and action planning (fourth day). Various training methodologies, such as inter-active discussion, use of popular culture (song, poem writing), role playing, self reflection and sharing, guided group work, were used.
3. Presentation on Strengthening Rural Women's Leadership in Farmer and Producer Organizations: Experiences from Nepal and the Philippines in a Seminar Organized by IFAD, IFPRI and the World Bank on Strengthening Rural Women's Leadership
WOCAN Associate, Barun Gurung, described a training program with which he and other associates are currently involved in Nepal and the Philippines.
