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Teachers’ Training on Gender Equality, Sexual and Reproductive Health in Jumla Dec 2014
Engaging School Teachers on Gender Equality, Sexual and Reproductive Health in Jumla
As a strategic partner, Action Works Nepal (AWON) is facilitated a two days training on gender, sexual
and reproductive health to teachers (Head teacher and Health teachers) and school management
committee from seven working villages of AWON, BEE Group and Four S on 21-22 December 2014 in
Khalnga, Jumla. There were 18 participants where two participants were from school management
committee and rest of the teachers. This training lead by Ms. Radha Paudel, Activist and
Founder/President of AWON and co-facilitated by Mr. Dhan Bhadur Air, Country Representative FRL
Nepal.
Followed by an inauguration session, the teachers defined them with following attributes in the
beginning of the discussions. They were so excited and happy to share about their roles. They said that
they are role model in society, driver of the society , future making, nice temple, boater, know internal
matters, change agent, watchdog of the society, porter, facilitator, creating enabling environment,
pilot, informal, vehicle for change, lamp, leader and holy person.
They have average 10 years working experiences, ranges from 3 years to 40 years working experience.
Unfortunately, they have very poor foundation on gender, gender equality, human rights, violence
against women and girls at school and outside of the schools. They fully occupied by negative
perceptions towards gender e.g. men are getting violence; women would get second marriage or
dominate once they educated or have property. Through the group exercises, statement, examples,
they made gender tree, they discussed on gender and sex and identified the existing violence against
girls and women inside and outside of the school. They also internalized the role of teachers and schools
in minimizing the gender discrimination and violence against women and girls because school is a key
institution on gender tree.
They even don’t have compatible knowledge and skills on their text book specially focus on reproductive
health including menstruation. The more than 80 % teachers are practicing Chhaupadi practice during
menstruation. They strongly believed that staying in cowshed is scientifically rationale and culturally
Gender Tree formulated by Teachers through Group Exercise
Teachers’ Training on Gender Equality, Sexual and Reproductive Health in Jumla Dec 2014
accepted thus it should be continued. They considered that the menstrual blood is impure so it has to
isolated from entering house, temple, not allow to touch fruits, not allow to eat milk and meat products,
not allow to participate in social gatherings etc. The facilitators challenged them by sharing many
examples, sharing research report (AWON 2013) drawing pictures and proven that the Chhaupadi is the
key barrier of girls disempowerment since childhood through continuously observation of their sisters,
mothers and other family members.
Sexual harassment and abuse is also key concern of the school girls that was strongly recommended in
the rural women’s conference in Jumla (Nov 2014) as a key problem of high dropped out rate of girls,
early marriage ( a pushing factor of early marriage) and poor girl’s education. Thus, participants worked
in group in order to identify the features of sexual harassment and abuse and way forward on it.
Teachers and school management committee have very poor understanding on it as well. They believed
that girls got sexual harassment because of their characters and get up (dress).
They also practiced the exercise of state of powerful and powerless situation in order to see the role of
power and violence at their circumstances.
Participants worked in group in order to identify their role in implementation of declaration paper of
the rural women’s conference in Jumla (Nov 2014). They also owned the important of their roles and
come up with way forward on how they endorse in their ongoing activities. They developed work plan
for next three months. Their work plan includes elimination of Chhaupadi among school teachers,
organize various activities to mobilize girls and boys at school and community, construct toilet for
girls, manage the sanitary towels in first aid box and make formed a sexual harassment complaint
mechanism in order to make sexual harassment free school.
Teachers and school management committee members agreed that they are heavily influenced by
party politics; there are many mis management in transfer, training, quality performance etc. They are
frustrated towards their management system due to not having equal treatment on awards and
punishments, any equal distribution of the resources. They are strongly recommended to organize the
teachers by one umbrella organization instead of various teachers’ associations, allow transferring
across the country in order to improve learning through cross learning and making more accountable.
At last but not least, they strongly demanded to expand such trainings to all schools, members of school
management committee and parents with follow up in future.
Prepared by: Radha Paudel
Activist
Founder/President of Action works Nepal
Participants of Teacher's Training