Women Acting Together for Change

WATCH

Qui sommes-nous

WATCH is a secular, non-profit, politically non-aligned NGO founded in 1992. It focuses on helping Nepal's poor and oppressed communities, with special attention to rural women. WATCH is committed to achieving self-reliant and sustainable forms of development. Our particular area of expertise is in organizing women and other oppressed groups at the grassroots level and providing them with the support they need to take action, or to learn about how to make changes to their lives.

WATCH uses a process of discussion, dialogue and reflection to organize local communities. Our aim is for people to build up their own social resources and to determine by themselves what kind of action they need to take in order bring about change. It is the people concerned who directly participate in the decision-making process. It is they who actively address the situations that impact their lives, particularly situations of exploitation and oppression.

WATCH uses this approach to participatory development to confer decision-making rights to the people it works with, to encourage their commitment, and to build up their confidence and self-esteem. WATCH's goal is "to establish a just society where women and poor members can live with honor, dignity and the recognition due to them. It wants Nepali women and men to take control of their own lives." To do this they need to be aware of the factors affecting them and they need to be organized in order to alter these factors. In raising people's awareness and helping them get organized WATCH pursues the following objectives:

• "Help disadvantaged groups to identify and solve their problems by heightening their awareness about what they can do, by organizing them, and boosting their confidence, thus empowering them to gain more control over their lives."
• "Educate the public about the situation of women and the plight of disadvantaged peoples."
• "Provide information to and obtain resources from other organizations with similar interests, both nationally and internationally."

Activities:

• Awareness Raising Programs
• Primary Health Care
• Literacy Program
• Agriculture activities
• Credit and Savings
• NGO Support and Capacity Building
• Girls Scholarship Program

After prior agreement, we can arrange for overnight accommodations for other net participants. Further we can give an expert report and can give a lecture.