Girls Matter: Addressing Discrimination and Promoting Nutrition Status, and Social Justice
The project aims to address various issues related to child protection and empowerment in Sudurpashchim Province. It includes activities such as training and sensitization on child screening using MUAC tapes, orienting mothers on family MUAC during Health Mother’s Group meetings, and providing regular monitoring and supervision by health facilities and Palika officials. Additionally, the project offers training to school teachers on healthy eating habits and adolescent iron folic acid (IFA), as well as orientation and counseling to school adolescents on these topics.
To prevent gender-based violence (GBV), the project provides sensitization and training on identifying and mitigating risks, conducts review meetings with trained service providers, and organizes multi-stakeholder platforms to discuss GBV prevention and referral services. It also supports safe houses for GBV victims, maps GBV and child protection (CP) service providers, and advocates for the establishment of ward and Palika-level child rights committees.
Furthermore, the project conducts sensitization on PSS in schools, mobilizes Community Psychosocial Workers (CPSWs), and conducts sensitization on PSS in communities with caregivers. It also conducts vulnerability assessments of children to identify risks of marriage, labor, abuse, and exploitation. To address these risks, the project provides educational support to enroll children out of school or at risk of dropping out and offers economic empowerment support and technical training on enterprises to girls.
The project also includes social and financial skills training (Rupantaran ToT), supports the formation of adolescent girls’ groups, and conducts orientations on harmful traditional practices in Sudurpashchim. Additionally, it rolls out Rupantaran sessions in communities and schools, provides parenting education packages, and conducts a scientific assessment of the status and accessibility of social security allowances (SSA) among Badi and Raji communities. Finally, the project conducts community/ward-level orientations on the Social Protection Mechanism and accessibility process.