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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

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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