On 25 July, Nanu Ghatani, Farmer and Chairperson of The Himalayan Grassroots Women’s Natural Resource Management Association (HIMAWANTI) Nepal, gave her testimonial to begin the session on ‘Strategic approaches: Option to address gender dimensions of food and nutrition security’ during the Asia and the Pacific Regional High-level Consultation on Gender, Food Security and Nutrition, held in Bangkok, Thailand.
She shared her experience of starting a women’s group with 3 members and expanding it to 614 members. She recollected her lack of knowledge of the importance of eating nutritious food during her pregnancy- a topic now regularly discusses in the women’s group, especially on the importance of eating nutritious grains and vegetables available in the village. Nanu is also a trainer and travels to other villages to shares her knowledge with other women’s groups.While addressing the question on how men in the villages are coping with the increased women empowerment, she said, ‘it apparently all depends upon money, now men know they have access to credit due to the women’s groups, men are happy to send their wives to become members’.
Nanu’s testimonial was highly appreciated and applauded by all the participants. Nanu concluded by saying that her women’s group has been able to improve only 25% of women’s situation in her village and there is lot more to do.
Nanu Ghatani’s Profile
District Chairperson, HIMAWANTI, Kavre District Chapter, Nepal
As a Chairperson of Women’s Cooperative comprising of 614 women from excluded groups (mainly Tamangs and Dalits), she has been able to mobilize local development funds for small infrastructures such as irrigation and rain-water harvesting. She has wide network and together with her cooperative members is able influence the decision of the district line agencies (agriculture, forestry, DDC) and have brought in resources and technologies related to livestock improvement, improved seeds and technical inputs, saplings for tree plantation etc. She is a respected leader in her community. She is known for being a very sensitive and fair leader in her village. She has played a big role not only in bringing resources to her village and its development, but has been able to motivate and empower a lot of women.