SFG2057 INTEGRATED PLATFORM FOR GENDER BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE IN NEPAL (IPGBVPR) VULNERABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN (VCDP) April 2016 National Women Commission Government of Nepal 1 ABBREVIATIONS CMS Case Management System CSO Civil Society Organization GBV Gender-Based Violence GoN Government of Nepal HDI Human Development Index Integrated Platform for Gender Based Violence Prevention and IPGBVPR Response IPs Indigenous Peoples LGBTI Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex LGBTI NWC National Women Commission PIU Project Implementation Unit VCDP Vulnerable Community Development Plan 2 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES 4 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT 4 2.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND 4 2.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 5 COMPONENT 1: SETTING UP GBV HELPLINE TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS 5 COMPONENT 2: PREVENTING GBV BY EMPOWERING YOUTH 5 COMPONENT 3: TRACKING IMPACT 6 COMPONENT 4: SUPPORTING MULTI-STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT TO ADDRESS GBV 6 3. BASELINE OF PROJECT AREA AND RELATED SOCIAL ISSUES 6 3.1 WOMEN AND GIRLS 6 3.2 IPS AND DALITS 7 3.3 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX 8 3.4 PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITY (PWLD) 8 4. POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON VULNERABLE GROUPS 8 5. POLICY FRAMEWORK SUPPORTING VULNERABLE GROUP 9 5.1 CONSTITUTION OF NEPAL, 2015 9 5.2 SPECIALIZED INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS 10 5.3 THREE YEAR INTERIM PLANS AND APPROACH PAPERS 10 5.4 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS 10 5.5 WORLD BANK POLICY: OP/BP 4.10 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 10 6. STEPS TO IMPLEMENT VCDP 10 6.1 IDENTIFICATION OF PRECISE LOCATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS 11 6.2 CONSULTATIONS WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES 11 6.3 FORMING SUPPORT GROUPS COMPRISING REPRESENTATIVES FROM VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES 11 6.4 DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS TO REDUCE RISKS AND INCREASE BENEFITS 11 6.4 SETTING UP GRIEVANCE REDRESS SYSTEM FOR THE PROJECT 14 6.5 WORLD BANK GRIEVANCE REDRESS SYSTEM 14 6.6 MONITORING VCDP IMPLEMENTATION 15 6.6.1 MONITORING AT INDIVIDUAL LEVEL 15 6.6.2 MONITORING BY DISTRICT FOCAL PERSONS 15 6.6.3 THIRD PARTY MONITORING 15 7. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENT 15 8. BUDGET REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF VCDP 16 3 1. Introduction and objectives 1. This document presents the Vulnerable Community Development Plan (hereafter, VCDP) for the Integrated Platform for Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response (IPGBVPR) in Nepal. The plan helps to ensure that the project fully respects the dignity, human rights, economies, values and cultures of vulnerable groups, especially women and girls and the IPs. It lays out steps to ensure inclusion, protection and development of identified vulnerable communities. The steps include details on principles, policies, guidelines and procedures to be integrated into project implementation and assists in the achievement of the compliance with applicable Nepali laws relating to IPs and other marginalized groups and regulations and relevant World Bank’s safeguard policies and objectives relating to IPs. 2. Description of project 2.1 Project Background 2. The World Bank’s 2014 regional report, ‘Violence against Women and Girls: Lessons from South Asia’, notes that gender-based violence (GBV) is an acute problem in Nepal, with women being subjected to different forms of violence over their lifetimes. When violence is so widespread, it is often normalized by both men and women in the community. Also lack of knowledge about existing laws against GBV, lack of awareness of services for victims and distrust of public institutions, contributes to underreporting of incidents of violence. A cross-sectional survey of 900 women across six districts found that the majority of women were unaware of any Nepali laws that address GBV, only nine percent were aware that rape within marriage is illegal, and only 13 and 35 percent, respectively, were aware of laws against domestic violence and trafficking. Knowledge of support services was surprisingly low with only 25 percent of the survey respondents aware of services for GBV survivors and less than 10 percent knowledgeable about shelter homes at the district level or about programs within government entities that were specifically designed to help victims of GBV.1 3. The earthquake has made women and girls more vulnerable to GBV by heightening the risk factors. For example, the earthquake has led to acute water shortage in the affected districts, especially in rural areas. Women now have to wake up at odd hours, walk in the dark and go further to collect water. 2 GBV risks have also increased for women and girls living in camps due to reduced security. Moreover, the financial stress through loss of family members, property and livelihood has meant that women, girls and boys have become targets for trafficking. Between April and September 2015, UNICEF and its partners intercepted 793 women and girls; 455 of these were at risk of being trafficked to India.3 4. In June 2013, the Bank in collaboration with IFC, Young Innovations and the Computer Association of Nepal jointly organized a Hackathon on Violence Against Women. Winning apps were integrated into a comprehensive online platform FightVAW (www.fightvaw.org) which when tested 1 Government of Nepal, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, November 2012. A Study on Gender-Based Violence Conducted in Selected Rural Districts of Nepal. 2 http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/feb/11/nepal-water-crisis-earthquake-rebuilding-cold-survivors 3 Jones, S. 25 October 2015. Nepal earthquakes leave bitter legacy as children become quarry for traffickers http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/oct/25/nepal-earthquake-six-month-anniversary-children-orphans-people-traffickers 4 resulted in the FightVAW initiative. The FightVAW initiative – August 2013 to June 2015 -- developed a 5. Helpline and a full-fledged case management system (CMS) from the ideas generated during the Hackathon. Other ICT applications including an Android application that allows users in unsafe situations to discretely press the power button and message family and friends along with GPS location was developed. The initiative partnered with (i) youth and women’s media organizations to disseminate information on the Helpline, and (ii) CSOs providing support services to respond to cases reported to the Helpline. The National Women Commission (NWC) provided guidance from the beginning of the initiative because of relevance of the ICT solutions. 2.2 Project Description 6. The objective of this project is to raise awareness about, and improve response to, Gender Based Violence in Nepal. This will be achieved by improving the quality and reach of services for GBV survivors through a helpline, promoting greater awareness among key stakeholders and strengthening the capacity of NWC. 7. The project will be implemented in four districts Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur in Kathmandu Valley and Nuwakot because of high prevalence of GBV especially in the form of domestic violence, trafficking and sexual assaults (rape and attempt to rape). Trafficking of internal migrants and of women and girls from the rural areas of the districts in the Valley is also common. Nuwakot has been selected as a project district because (i) it is one of the hardest-hit by the earthquake and (ii) among the three districts selected for World Bank’s housing project – Dolakha, Dhading and Nuwakot – it has higher prevalence of GBV.4 Component 1: Setting up GBV Helpline to improve access to support services for survivors 8. The project will set up at NWC a toll-free, 24- hour, four-digit Helpline with technical support from CARE Nepal. The Helpline will be supported by a CMS that has been already developed and tested.5 It builds on existing infrastructure, know-how, expertise, network of service providers piloted under FighVAW. 9. Activities under this project will set up the technological infrastructure for the Helpline, train operators, counselors and service providers on responding to cases and using the CMS. The project will develop protocols and guidelines on safe and ethical considerations, and a communication and outreach strategy that will be implemented prior to launch of the Helpline to ensure that beneficiaries are aware of the services available through the Helpline. Component 2: Preventing GBV by Empowering Youth 10. Under this component, the activities will be implemented by CARE Nepal in collaboration with NWC and will target male and female youth. Activities entail workshops on engaging men and boys to 4 NWC monitoring update – conversation with Chair of NWC. 5 The FightVAW initiative took the basic prototype of a voice-recording system developed by young IT professionals who participated in Hackathon and developed it into a basic helpline that would automate the process of reporting cases and follow-up by providing services. By the end of the initiative, a 16-digit toll-free helpline number (difficult to remember) using a Interactive Voice Response (IVR) where GBV survivors or witnesses could report a case be leaving voice recordings was tested. An IVR instead of an individual operator was placed because the helpline originated with the idea to provide a means of reporting that was available 24 hours and where the GBV survivors would not have to face operator’s judgements. However, it was discovered that many callers are not comfortable to recording their voices and the nee d for trained and sensitive call operators emerged. 5 end GBV, social media campaign, digital storytelling trainings and awareness raising activities on international women’s day and 16-days of activism. Component 3: Tracking Impact 11. This component will support NWC in data collection and analysis, which is central to monitoring and evaluating of service delivery and to gathering evidence for policy to address Gender Based Violence in Nepal. Specific activities include training on data collection and analysis for NWC staff to monitor and evaluate the achievement of the PDOs; tracking the quality of services and utilizing the data for policy advocacy. Component 4: Supporting Multi-Stakeholder Engagement to address GBV 12. As part of the holistic approach to addressing GBV, the project will not only aim to support GBV response and to a certain degree prevention; it also will aim to strengthen the role of NWC in Nepal as the main GBV coordinating body. Within this component, policy dialogues will be organized to engage non- traditional actors to address GBV. A sectoral intervention in collaboration with the Department of Transport Management within the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure will support development of gender-sensitive transport plans in urban centers and awareness raising on safety issues among service providers. This component will be implemented by the World Bank and includes activities such as piloting the development of safe zones and GBV awareness campaigns on buses, developing an awareness program around safety and security, using ICT to report incidents in insecure hotspots and raising awareness on GBV issues in transport. 3. BASELINE OF PROJECT AREA AND RELATED SOCIAL ISSUES 13. Vulnerable populations who will be affected by the project include, women and girls, particularly ones who have faced GBV, IPs, Dalits, people with disabilities and the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex). 3.1 Women and girls Gender inequality 14. Women and girls who face gender discrimination and GBV are the primary beneficiaries and one of the key vulnerable groups for this project. Gender inequality in Nepal is deeply rooted in its patriarchal values entrenched in the Hindu religion. Eighty-one percent of the country is Hindu and its values have influenced Nepali law and institutions throughout Nepal’s history.6 As a result, women who constitute 51 percent of the population have been discriminated against in many areas such as education, social security and employment. Women of indigenous groups and lower caste communities are especially vulnerable as they face double discrimination based on gender as well as caste or ethnicity. Single women (unmarried, separated or divorced) face additional challenges due to societal norms. Female-headed households are especially vulnerable in terms of income levels and human development.7 Gender Based Violence 6 The World Bank and Department for International Development, Nepal. Unequal Citizens: Gender, Caste and Ethnic Exclusion in Nepal 7 Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission, Kathmandu 2015: Nepal Earthquake 2015, Post Disaster Needs Assessment Vol. A: Key Findings, p 71 6 15. Early forms of violence against women and girls include sex-selection and high girl child mortality. Nepal has high levels of excess female child mortality with sex selection being the key driver. 8 UNICEF, estimates that 20 percent of the more than 70,000 abortions that take place in Nepal each year are carried out by women who prefer a son to a daughter.9 According to the Regional Report, Nepal ranks as the 9th country in the world with highest child marriage prevalence with highest proportions married by age 18 and 12th by proportions married by age 15.10 Nepal ranks 14 among the 15 countries with the highest global prevalence of intimate partner physical violence and it is reported that one-third of married women have experienced emotional, physical, or sexual violence from their spouse in their marital relationship.11 Beyond intimate partner violence, women suffer from sexual, physical and emotional forms of violence perpetrated by people they know within the family, community or work and from strangers. Women and girls in Nepal also face violence related to dowry and witch-hunting. 3.2 IPs and Dalits 16. The 2011 census of Nepal recorded the presence of 125 caste and ethnic groups, 123 languages spoken as mother tongue, and ten different types of religious groups. Of the total population, the IPs (known as Adivasi/Janajatis in Nepal) comprise approximately 30 percent. In general, these Adivasi/Janajatis are defined by the following key characteristics:  Distinct collective identity;  Own language, religion, traditions, and culture,  Own traditional and relatively egalitarian social structure (as contrasted with the more rigid and  hierarchical caste system),  Traditional homeland and geographical area, and  A written and/or oral history that traces their line of descent back to the occupants of territories before they were integrated into Nepalese society within the current frontiers. 17. Besides the Janajatis, another group that is considered marginalized for reasons of caste hierarchy is the Dalits (formerly known as the 'untouchables') who constitute approximately 15 percent of the population. These different groups are interspersed throughout the country, and there are very only few areas where one group is in majority, and can be regarded as 'ethnic homelands.' 18. Everywhere in the country, indigenous groups, lower caste communities and women lag seriously behind in terms of incomes, assets and most human development indicators. Among the four major caste and ethnic clusters, the Brahims/Chhetris (the privileged groups) rank at the top with Human Development Index (HDI) value of 0.538, followed by the Janajatis at 0.482,1 the Dalits at 0.434 and the Muslims at 0.422. As a marker of deprivation, the latter two groups--the Muslims and the Dalits have HDI values 27 and 24 percent lower respectively than that of the Brahimins/Chhetris. Among all Janajatis and Dalits, those from the Hills are much better off with higher HDI scores than those from the Tarai. Further, as an indication of the intersection between poverty and caste/ethnicity, the 2014 Human Development Report has recorded that one in every four poor in Nepal is a Hill Janajati, and these figures are likely to be grimmer if the total Janajati population (both hill and Tarai) are taken into consideration.2 The four project districts also demonstrate similar complexities. There is high population of Tamangs, one of the most disadvantaged indigenous groups, in remote areas of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, Nuwakot, in particular, has majority IPs. 8 Solotaroff, J., and R. Pande. 2014. Violence Against Women and Girls: Lessons from South Asia . Washington, DC: The World Bank,, pg. 28 9 http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/HPROSPECT/article/viewFile/5647/4645 10 Solotaroff, J., and R. Pande. 2014. Violence Against Women and Girls: Lessons from South Asia . Washington, DC: The World Bank,, p. 31 11 Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, 2012 7 3.3 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex 19. As the project deals with gender based violence and not only violence against women and girls, the LGBTI people also form a key vulnerable community. They face violence, harassment and discrimination.12 Lesbian women face greater challenges because of lower status of women. 3.4 People Living with Disability (PWLD) 20. People Living with Disability (PWLD) are vulnerable because of their circumstances, and limited social and state support. About two percent (1.94%; 513,321) of the total Nepali population reported to have some kind of disability.4 PWLD are also susceptible to GBV, however, the extent to which this group faces GBV has been understudied. According to a study on women with disability, over 57 percent reported that they had every experienced violence, including 55% reporting emotional violence, 34% physical violence and 21% sexual violence.13 21. The IPGBVPR is applicable to all the populations in the districts, therefore, information, services and activities should be accessible to all. Nonetheless, identified vulnerable groups, who face greater risks of GBV may be less aware about the issue and therefore need greater support from the project. For this reason, the project will give extra consideration to vulnerable groups to reduce impact, provide benefit and ensure their participation in project cycle. This VCDP is designed to ensure that vulnerable groups, including IPs, in the project districts are regarded as special interest groups and that impacts of the project on the socio-economic and cultural aspects of their lives are minimized and addressed sensitively. 4. POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON VULNERABLE GROUPS 4.1 Women and Girls 22. While the project has many benefits for women and girls, who are the primary beneficiaries, risks of adverse impacts still exist. Women and girls belonging to indigenous groups who experience GBV and voice their decision to report the case may face pressure from their families or community members to not report the case. If they do report, they are also at risk of facing additional violence from perpetrators, whether inside the family or from outside. Moreover, if the community learns that she is a GBV survivor, she will likely be stigmatized. All these possible impacts have to be addressed sensitively with emphasis on the GBV survivors’ safety. In a gender unequal context, women and girls may also be excluded during the project design, implementation and monitoring phases. Moreover, since the project also focuses on utilizing ICT for prevention activities and response services, women and girls who are less likely to own or use mobile devices and Internet may not access the project’s benefits. 4.2 Indigenous People 23. Indigenous People due to lower economic levels and HDI levels face a higher risk of GBV.14 This project will pay special attention to the ways in IPs experience GBV and this group can benefit from the project’s activities and services. A large proportion of GBV survivors also belong to IPs and therefore they face the risk of negative stereotyping during project implementation. Although there is limited data, it is widely believed that in districts such as Nuwakot, large proportions of trafficked victims are 12 Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nepal: Treatment of sexual minorities, including legislation, state protection, and support services , 20 January 2012, NPL103943.E, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4f30ec042.html [accessed 6 April 2016] 13 Puri, M. et. al. BMC Public Health. 2014. “Hidden voices: prevalence and risk factors for violence against women with disabilities in Nepa l.� http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-1610-z 14 Solotaroff, J., and R. Pande. 2014. Violence Against Women and Girls: Lessons from South Asia . Washington, DC: The World Bank. 8 Tamangs, one of the many IPs in Nepal. At the same time, IPs have been systematically marginalized and excluded for decades; hence, there are risks of them being excluded in during consultations, and in the design and implementation processes. For example, IPs tend to live away from urban centers and also speak their own language. Such factors may increase the likelihood that the outreach and information dissemination activities do not reach the project beneficiaries among this group. 4.3 Dalits 24. Dalits are another group that face higher levels of GBV and so can benefit from the project in many ways. Due to limited education and exclusion at the community level from awareness programs, Dalits may be less aware on GBV. Therefore, this community will also benefit from the project’s awareness raising activities. While there are benefits for the Dalit community, it is still possible that they will be excluded during project implementation or even face caste-based discrimination. For example, it cannot be guaranteed that service providers will not discriminate against this group based on their caste. In addition to being subjected to caste-based discrimination during project implementation, the Dalit community are at risk of being marginalized and excluded from the project. They are also vulnerable to increased stigmatization if they are associated with a project on GBV. 4.4 LGBTI 25. The LGBTI population is a key vulnerable group in Nepal. While laws have recognized the group by granting them “third gender� status, they are still discriminated against and face various forms of violence including custodial violence. This community faces risks of being marginalized and excluded from project benefits. 4.5 People with disabilities 26. The experiences of GBV faced by people with disabilities is understudied and underreported. The project with the use of ICT for its prevention and response activities will have positive impacts to help this group to report cases and increase awareness on prevention. However, some may still be at risk of being excluded from the benefits of the project. 5. POLICY FRAMEWORK SUPPORTING VULNERABLE GROUP 27. The Government of Nepal (GoN) has introduced a wide variety of legal provisions and ratified international conventions/treaties to protect and promote the rights of women and girls against violence, discrimination and abuse and included provisions in various legal documents including the Constitution passed in 2015 to protect IPs and vulnerable communities. 5.1 Constitution of Nepal, 2015 28. The Constitution of Nepal, 2015 contains clauses that guarantee “proportional inclusion� in all state bodies, as well as positive discrimination in education, employment, and social security. It also commits the government to protect vulnerable communities. Article 42 on Right to Social Justice guarantees the rights of socially backward women, Dalits, IPs, Madhesi, Tharu, minority groups, people with disability, Muslims, youths, peasants, labourers, oppressed classes, poor farmers and laborers to take part in the structures of the State on the basis of the principle of ‘proportional inclusion’. According to Article 51 (j)(Policies of State), the State has compulsory obligation to pursue a policy of uplifting the economically and socially backward IPs, Madhesi, Dalits, marginalized communities, and workers and 9 farmers living below the poverty line, by making a provision of reservation in education, health, housing, food sovereignty and employment, for a certain period of time. 5.2 Specialized Institutional Mechanisms 29. The GoN has also enacted the Domestic Violence (Crime and Punishment) Act (2009) to prevent and control violence occurring within the family and provide protection to the survivors of such violence. While the Domestic Violence Act (2009) is a landmark achievement in this area, Nepal’s continued political instability has hampered the implementation of this Act. 5.3 Three Year Interim Plans and Approach Papers 30. In line with the constitutional provisions, the successive national periodic plans (the Three-year Interim Plans for 2007-2010 and 2011-2013) provided policies and programs for inclusive growth and upliftment of the vulnerable communities. The specific policies for inclusive development of the vulnerable communities adopted by the government are: (i) creating an environment for social inclusion; (ii) participation of disadvantaged groups in policy and decision making; (iii) developing special programs for disadvantaged groups; (iv) positive discrimination or reservation in education, employment, etc; (v) protection of their culture, language and knowledge; (vi) proportional representation in development; and (vi) making the country’s entire economic framework socially inclusive. In addition, the GoN has drafted a five-year action plan for the empowerment of women and prevention of GBV. 5.4 International Human Rights Instruments 31. Nepal is party to 16 international human rights instruments including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. 5.5 World Bank Policy: OP/BP 4.10 Indigenous Peoples 32. Field visits, initial discussions with experts of ethnic minorities in the region and desk review, have indicated that communities of IPs are present in the project areas. The IPs policy (OP 4.10) is designed to ensure that the development process fully respects the dignity, human rights, economies and cultures of IPs. As such, the policy requires that the World Bank provides project financing only where free, prior and informed consultation results in broad community support to the project by the affected IPs. Such Bank-financed projects include measures to: (a) avoid potentially adverse effects on IPs’ communities; (b) when avoidance is not feasible, minimize, mitigate or compensate for such effects; (c) IPs receive culturally compatible social and economic benefits. 6. STEPS to IMPLEMENT VCDP 33. Within the selected project districts, the precise location where IPGBVPR will be implemented is not known, hence, it is difficult to ascertain the precise number of project beneficiaries belonging to vulnerable communities. Based on current trends indicated by GBV prevalence data it can be said that majority of GBV survivors who will benefit from the project’s response services will be vulnerable communities and IPs. Beneficiaries of the prevention activities will be from diverse backgrounds, however, IPs and vulnerable communities have a significant presence in the selected districts and hence they will also be key beneficiaries of prevention activities. In this regard, the overall project design seeks 10 to benefit GBV survivors and others in the community, mostly from indigenous groups and vulnerable communities, to prevent GBV and to provide support services. 34. To ensure that potential negative impacts on IPs and vulnerable communities are minimized the following steps will be taken: Step 1: Identification of precise VDCs/Municipalities and settlements in project districts where project activities will be implemented based on a selection criteria and collection of data on IPs and vulnerable communities; Step 2: Consultations with IPs and vulnerable communities for their input on minimizing risks and increasing benefits from the project Step 3: Forming support groups in each districts where IPs and vulnerable communities will be represented to express their ideas and concerns Step: 4: Developing and implementing mechanisms to ensure inclusion of IPs and vulnerable communities, reducing stigma and negative stereotyping, and maximizing benefits during project implementation Step 5: Setting up grievance redress system for the project Step 6: World Bank grievance redress system Step 7: Monitoring VCDP implementation 6.1 Identification of precise locations and settlements 35. To implement the VCDP, the NWC will develop a criteria and collect data to identify the precise VDCs/Municipalities and settlements where the project activities will be implemented. 6.2 Consultations with Indigenous People and vulnerable communities 36. Prior to detailing project activities and implementation methods, free, prior and informed consultations will be conducted with identified vulnerable communities to provide them with relevant information about the project, the VCDP and to gather local inputs on minimizing risks from the projects and augmenting benefits. 6.3 Forming support groups comprising representatives from vulnerable communities 37. District focal person is responsible for coordinating the activities at the district level. A support group will be formed at the district level where members will represent the identified vulnerable communities. The support group will guide and assist the district focal person to mobilize participants for awareness raising activities and informal groups to provide support services when necessary. Forming these support groups at the district level is a key measure to ensure that vulnerable communities have a say in the design, implementation and monitoring of project activities. 6.4 Developing and implementing mechanisms to reduce risks and increase benefits 38. The detailed plan will be developed and implemented to (i) ensure participation of; (ii) train project staff on sensitivity and receptivity towards; (ii) conduct targeted communication and outreach activities for; and (iv) to mobilize CSOs that work on vulnerable communities including IPs. More specifically, following actions will be taken in regards to the identified vulnerable communities: Table 1: Matrix of recommended Measure for the VCDP 11 Group Proposed Measure for Support Women and  A minimum of 33% participant of women will be made mandatory for all girls activities.  When the project is launched at the district level, organizations working with women, media and informal groups that work on women’s issues will be informed about the project.  Support groups that assist and monitor activities at the district level will consist 33% women.  Special efforts will be made to get feedback from girls. For example, during baseline surveys, girls will be consulted to understand their vulnerability levels.  Targeted communication and outreach will be designed to reach women and girls.  As women and girls may not always have access to mobile phones, district focal persons and support groups will create a space where women can visit to benefit from the project’s services or mobile teams will be created to reach them.  Awareness raising activities among men, boys, women and girls will enable women and girls to report violence without facing strong pressures from inside and outside the family. IPs  IPs communities will be represented in the support groups to ensure inclusion in design, implementation and monitoring  When providing referral and support services to IPs, train service providers to be sensitive towards experiences of ethnicity-based discrimination and ensure delivery of non-discriminatory services  During workshops for men and boys, participation of IPs will be warranted  Prevention activities such as social media campaign and digital storytelling will cover the experiences of IPs as well  Awareness activities will also consider ways to reduce stigma and address negative stereotyping  Targeted communication and outreach activities will be designed to best reach IPs. For example, when producing PSA and IEC material, language, messages, pictorial depictions and cultural references will be sensitively thought-through.  As some IPs may not have access to mobile phones, district focal persons and support groups will create a space where they can visit to benefit from the project’s services or mobile teams will be created to reach them.  When expanding and strengthening the NWC’s network to include organizations that can provide services and partake in prevention activities, organizations working on IPs will be included. Dalit  Dalit communities will be represented in the support groups to ensure inclusion in design, implementation and monitoring  Address GBV linked with caste-based discrimination when carrying out prevention activities  When providing referral services to Dalits, train service providers to be sensitive towards experiences of caste-based discrimination and ensure ‘untouchability’ or caste-based discrimination is not practiced during support service delivery  During workshops for men and boys, participation of Dalits will be warranted 12  Prevention activities such as social media campaign and digital storytelling will cover the experiences of Dalits as well  Awareness activities will also consider ways to reduce stigma and address negative stereotyping  Targeted communication and outreach activities will be designed to best reach Dalits. For example, when producing PSA and IEC material, language, messages, pictorial depictions and cultural references will be sensitively thought-through.  As some Dalits may not have access to mobile phones, district focal persons and support groups will create a space where they can visit to benefit from the project’s services or mobile teams will be created to reach them.  When expanding and strengthening the NWC’s network to include organizations that can provide services and partake in prevention activities, organizations working on Dalits will be included. LGBTI  LGBTI communities will be represented in the support groups to ensure inclusion in design, implementation and monitoring  Address GBV linked with sexual minorities when carrying out prevention activities and encourage LGBTI to report cases  When providing referral services to LGBTI, train service providers to be sensitive and receptive towards this group and ensure non-discriminatory service delivery  During workshops for men and boys, participation of LGBTI will be warranted  Prevention activities such as social media campaign and digital storytelling will cover the experiences of LGBTI as well  Awareness activities will also consider ways to reduce stigma and address negative stereotyping  Targeted communication and outreach activities will be designed to best reach LGBTI. For example, when producing PSA and IEC material, language, messages, pictorial depictions and cultural references will be sensitively thought-through.  As individuals from sexual minority groups may not have access to mobile phones, district focal persons and support groups will create a space where they can visit to benefit from the project’s services or mobile teams will be created to reach them  When expanding and strengthening the NWC’s network to include organizations that can provide services and partake in prevention activities, organizations working on LGBTI will be included. PLWD  PLWD communities will be represented in the support groups to ensure inclusion in design, implementation and monitoring  Address GBV linked with PLWD when carrying out prevention activities and encourage PLWD to report cases  When providing referral services to PLWD, train service providers to be sensitive and receptive towards this group and ensure non-discriminatory service delivery  During workshops for men and boys, participation of PLWD will be warranted  Prevention activities such as social media campaign and digital storytelling will cover the experiences of PLWD as well  Awareness activities will also consider ways to reduce stigma and address negative stereotyping  Targeted communication and outreach activities will be designed to best reach 13 PLWD. For example, when producing PSA and IEC material, language, messages, pictorial depictions and cultural references will be sensitively thought-through.  As individuals from PLWD groups may not have access to mobile phones, district focal persons and support groups will create a space where they can visit to benefit from the project’s services or mobile teams will be created to reach them  When expanding and strengthening the NWC’s network to include organizations that can provide services and partake in prevention activities, organizations working on PLWD will be included. 6.4 Setting up grievance redress system for the project 39. A Grievance Redress Mechanism will be implemented as part of this VCDP and will include (i) recording and reporting grievances filed verbally and in writing, (ii) designated staff at the district and central Project Implementation Unit (PIU) level and (iii) a specific protocol to address the grievance within a stipulated time frame. 40. The project entails operationalizing a helpline to report cases of gender based violence. Beneficiaries can call the helpline’s toll-free number to report grievances. They can SMS, email or send a letter in writing. They can also visit the district civil society organization (CSO) to file a grievance orally or in writing. Specified format for filing grievances will be developed and used while recording grievances received through any of the aforementioned media. The technological support system to establish and manage the grievances through these media will be provided to the district focal person and the PIU at program implementation. 41. The grievances will be managed through an institutional set up including (i) grievance recorder, (ii) district level grievance management committee comprising of district focal person and representatives from NWC’s network CSOs, (iii) PIU Grievance Monitoring and Recommendation Committee comprising of activity coordinator and project manager and (iv) Central grievance management and policy recommendation committee comprising of representatives from NWC, World Bank and Care Nepal. 42. When beneficiaries file a grievance, they will be directed to grievance recorder. The staff will be trained to interact sensitively with beneficiaries reporting grievances. Once recorded the grievance will be referred to district focal persons and the district level grievance management committee. This district committee will communicate the issue and possible solutions to the PIU Grievance Monitoring and Recommendation Committee. This Committee will monitor progress on grievance redressal and report to the Central Grievance Management and Policy Recommendation Committee. This Committee will make policy-level decisions and changes as the project progresses. 6.5 World Bank grievance redress system 43. Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected by a World Bank (WB) supported project may submit complaints to existing project-level grievance redress mechanisms or the WB’s Grievance Redress Service (GRS). The GRS ensures that complaints received are promptly reviewed in order to address project-related concerns. Project affected communities and individuals may submit their complaint to the WB’s independent Inspection Panel which determines whether harm occurred, or could occur, as a result of WB non-compliance with its policies and procedures. Complaints may be submitted at any time after concerns have been brought directly to the World Bank's attention, and Bank Management has been given an opportunity to respond. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank’s corporate Grievance Redress Service (GRS), please visit 14 www.worldbank.org/grs. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank Inspection Panel, please visit www.inspectionpanel.org 6.6 Monitoring VCDP implementation 44. Monitoring of social activities will be carried out at three levels – at the individual levels, at district level and at central PIU level and also by third party. Safeguard monitoring will occur as a regular activity, and will include compliance monitoring, process reviews/audits, reporting of outputs, quarterly monitoring as well as third party monitoring. 6.6.1 Monitoring at individual level 45. When individual GBV survivors receive support services through CSOs and their case is recorded and processed through the CMS, the call operators, counsellors and servicing providing CSOs will ensure that key safeguarding requirements are being considered during service provision. The case management coordinator will submit social (and environmental report) to the PIU according to guidelines. As for impact of prevention activities at the individual level, feedback on social safeguarding issues will be incorporate into activity evaluation. For example, upon completion of workshops to men and boys, they will evaluate the workshop including compliance to social safeguarding. 6.6.2 Monitoring by district focal persons 47. Assigned district focal persons will conduct periodic (monthly) monitoring of the VCDP implementation at the settlement level. A reporting format will be developed to capture indicators for social and where relevant environmental safeguarding. 6.6.3 Third party monitoring 48. The PIU will commission a third party project level monitoring. PIU will select a national agency to evaluate the level of compliance with the project’s environment safeguard instruments independently. A comprehensive assessment report on social performance will be prepared by the third-party monitoring agency every six-month (half-yearly) for first two-years of implementation (or until project Mid-Term). Thereafter, third party monitoring may be done annually. The third-party monitoring reports will be shared with the World Bank. 7. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENT 49. The NWC, therefore the GoN, has the overall responsibility for implementing this project for which the Project Implementation Unit will be placed at the NWC. The PIU will be responsible for ensuring overall program delivery, contracting and coordination of executing partners, quality assurance, provision of specific technical expertise, managing of the Steering Committee, and coordinating strategic links with the other organizations working on GBV. The PIU will also oversee M&E, credible research and production of analysis related to the program field experience. It will also be responsible for establishing, maintaining and convening the Project Steering Committee. 50. A Project Steering Committee (the operations manual will clarify the procedure for selecting the Steering Committee) will include representatives from the NWC, CARE Nepal and the Ministry of Finance and will provide project-level guidance and supervision. The Steering Committee will also 15 monitor and coordinate among the implementing agencies. It will meet at least once every month to ensure smooth operation and troubleshoot policy-level issues. 51. At the local level, focal persons from the partner CSOs, NWC’s network member, Village Development Committee/Municipalities and Women Development Offices will be responsible along with project beneficiaries for implemented and compliance with the VCDP. 52. The VCDP will be mainstreamed through Project Operation Manual (POM) will be will be approved within the four months of project effectiveness. 8. BUDGET REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF VCDP 53. The costs associated with VCDP implementation will be part of the overall project costs. The precise budget will be worked out in detail during implementation and agreed with the Project Implementing Unit (PIU). 16