WoNEE has started an initiative on Women Economic Empowerment through Skill and Knowledge Transformation on E-cooking Technologies by conducting the induction cookstoves repair and maintenance training to the women of various districts where the electric cookstoves have already been promoted by the different stakeholders.   This training is aiming to establish electrical appliances store with repair service in their own areas and subsequently, roll out the training to other potential areas thereby increasing the market share of women in the energy market which is presently being dominated by men.

Didi bahini basic electrical education campaign in Ward no 9,  New Baneshwor

Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) pointed out some concerns about women and climate issues at the local communities through the project, and since WoNEE has long been advocating for equal participation of women in the energy and environment sector, it has given continuity to this initiative by advocating on these matters via the

• local level capacity building, Consultation and facilitation to rise the grassroots voices
• Prepare position papers on GRB for climate change adaptation plan and program.
• Facilitate to submit position papers and delegation with the local government.
• Regular meeting and consultation to influence against discriminatory law and policies at national level.
• Development and dissemination of policy briefs.

The study has recommended that the government should be developed a strong mechanism for proper implementation and monitoring of NDCs and LAPA at local to national level, formulate gender responsive policies, programs, and action plans, allocating sufficient budget and the gender-neutral laws and policies are to be amended. At local level, the local government must formulate environment protection strategies for infrastructure development, increase capacity building activities targeting women so as to increase the awareness of women’s rights and create an enabling environment for equal participation of women in social, political and economic sectors

Climate justices Feminist Participatory Action Research (CJ-FPAR 2019-2021) under Feminist Fossil Fuel Free Futures Sub-Grants For NDC Monitoring and Equity- APWLD has recently been concluded with entitled on Empowering women of Bhaise and Satkanya communities to influence a Gender Responsive Budgeting of their Local Government for the Adaptation of Climate Change. The research communities, Bhaise and Satkanya are the rural villages of south Lalitpur. These villages are about 30 kilometers away from the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu. Both communities represent ward 3 of Bagmati Rural Municipality with typical rural settlement. In the community, most women engage in household work along with agriculture and cattle farming. For a long time, these communities have been facing climate change impacts, for example landslides, drought, loss of livelihood etc. but due to the lack of knowledge, they are silent about their problem. This FPAR focused on empowering women to build capacity for climate adaptation programmes in their communities. The community women have limited knowledge on climate change impact, women’s human rights, local policies, programme regarding the climate change, budget provision for communities. So Women want to have   capacity building training programmes on different subjects such as climate change adaptation, mitigation, tree plantation and soil protection. Kitchen gardening local level leadership development. They also expect the municipality to manage the market and vehicle services in order for them to sell their products. So, the project aims to empower women for influencing gender budgeting in local government and its effective utilization in the women capacity enhancement. There are some successful women's initiatives in both communities, such as mother's groups and women's cooperatives, which provides opportunities for women in various sectors such as saving and credit facilities , trainings, exposure visits,  which helps to make their daily lives easier. The successful women’s initiatives in both communities are mother’s groups and women's cooperatives. These initiatives help women to be independent and able to take action at a time of violence. Mother's groups encourage women to participate in social functions such as festivals, celebrations, raising awareness, and occasionally doing entertainment programs. Not only that, but they also collect a small amount of money each month, which can help women save money. On the other hand, women’s cooperatives provide opportunities for women in different sectors. This serves as a role model for women in the community because it empowers women with agricultural knowledge, educated illiterate women, and assists women in becoming self-sufficient using local resources. This FPAR focused on empowering women to build capacity for climate adaptation programmes in their communities. So the main advocacy goal will be empowering and influencing community women along with the local government to implement a climate adaptation gender budget for the community women.

WoNEE has launched a Bidhutiya Surakshya Sandesh song on 26^th December at Nepal Electricity Authority, Ratnapark in the presence of Chief Guest, managing Director of NEA, Kulman Ghising. This song carries a message that raises awareness to the mass to minimize electrical hazards. The main objective of the programme is to interact on the causes of increasing electrical hazards and find the way forward. In order to raise awareness, especially to women, the programme was supported by the Kathmandu Metropolitan city and co-supported by NEA and NEF. Focusing on the issue of electrical safety, as a part of societal safety and necessary to be careful while using household electrical equipment/appliances, chairman of WoNEE, Kala Timalsina presented on the accidental case in the recent years. She also presented on WoNEE's initiatives on the electrical safety from its establishment. And from the NEA, Khilanath Aryal presented on the technical aspect of electrical hazards. He also highlighted the NEA's initiatives and planning to minimize electrical accidents. Kulman Ghising thanked WoNEE for supporting them by creating song on Electrical Safety because; to him awareness to people goes faster through music. He also shared the tragic experiences while visit victim of electrical accidents.

On the occasion of electrical safety day, WoNEE has organized a awareness programme in different districts of Nepal. On March 2019, the Network organized a programme  in Chitwan with collaboration of Nepal Energy Foundation and the Neapal Eectricity Authority in the presence of deputy CDO Police head, deputy chair of district coordination committee, local elected member, Journalist and other community people. In the same day, other programs were conducted at Bhaktapur, and Nawlaparsi district.  In the programme, organizer team has presented a important and beneficial information about the advantages and dangers of electricity.

Dialogue/ Interaction Women Network for Energy and Environment (WoNEE) has organized a consultation meeting on “Green Climate fund (GCF) and Gender Issue in Nepal” on November 1, 2018 in Kathmandu in partnership with Asia pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD).  In total 21 participants from 11 different civil societies (CIPRED, NEF, FEDWASON, Prakriti Resource Center (PRC), NACEUN, Himawanti, and COFSUN Nepal) were invited. The chairperson of WoNEE, Kala Timalsina has talked on introduction and objective of the meeting. She said that WoNEE is established for the participation of women in energy that could helps to develop the overall sector of women. WoNEE shared present status of GCF project and process based available information during consultation with IUCN, Ministry of finance (NDA), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNDP to share their understanding from their side. As the main objective is based on how GCF is taking the issue of gender and how it could advance the principle of just and equitable, accountable and right based climate, it was focused on the discussion of role of GCF in gender issue. This consultation was also helpful in gathering GCF activities in Nepal, developing watcher perspective on gender and climate in GCF. Also we observed that gender mainstreaming on GCF project is must so, civil societies alliance for gender mainstreaming on GCF in Nepal was created. The main motivation of creating the alliance was, engagement of the civic societies in the gender mainstreaming of climate finance, develop common understanding on gender and climate issues. In understanding with all the civic societies, WoNEE was given responsibilities of coordinating the gender part of alliance formed after watcher consultation. The alliance will support implementing entities in preparing gender assessment and action plans, provide guidance and training to potential implementing entities on gender-responsive project design.

Dialogue/ Interaction

Dialogue/ Interaction

Women Network for Energy and Environment has conducted ‘Didi Bahini Basic Electricity Education Campaign’ in different wards and municipalities. The campaign aims to educate and encourage women for energy based skill and employment by giving theoretical and practical knowledge. The training has ultimate goal to make familiar about the daily based electrical equipment and its simple repairmen.  It was focused to the women from local areas and they have discussions on the new technologies, decision making process, and involvement in the different activities. This kind of activities helps them to develop self confidence in the discussions and to enhance the new knowledge. Women are the most users of household energy so they need special education to minimize the electrical hazards. Women's are always dis empowered with new technology and deprived from the participation in the meetings, discussions and other decision making process. This campaign works as information to those who did not have a basic knowledge about the electricity and it also helps to women who are interested to do more in the electricity sector. So this kind of campaign would be fruitful for the women empowerment. The participants were very interested and had desire to learn more. For that this training could be a base for the further more days training to advance their knowledge in the energy sector.      

Awareness raising

The capacity development training were conducted on 28th April 2018 in Udhyami Ghar, Buddhanagar – Kathmandu targeting the women from Kathmandu and adjoining districts. Participants from adjoining districts of Kathmandu Valley and about 25 participants from various districts and currently residing near Kathmandu valley attended the training organized in Kathmandu. The workshop started with an introduction session. Participants were asked to introduce themselves to the group. WoNEE coordinator Ms. Kala Timalsina, then shared objectives of the program and wished for a fruitful and effective training. She addressed the training saying that women and energy is a very important and interrelated issue, however it is being neglected in context of Nepal. She appreciated the initiation of Nepal Energy Foundation and Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, showed her commitment in helping WoNEE in future.

Trainings

WoNEE has submitted a position paper with 11 points emerging issues of Energy and Environment sector to the honorable energy minister Barsaman Pun and concern line agencies to review the existing policy through the gender perspective. Here, WoNEE is highlighting on the following major issues of Energy and Environment.  

1. Women's participation in every decision making and implementation process in meaningful ways in energy sector which has been guided by our constitution.
2. At least 33% of total board members must be represented by women in every Hydro power companies.
3. Creating opportunities of women access to the investment and benefit sharing on energy sector.
4. Enhance women’s capacity to provide job opportunities in the project affected area in energy sector and.
5. Need to prepare gender friendly energy policy, program and budget from local level to central level.
6. Ensure to improve health of women and children through electric cook stoves promotion.
7. Local government should have programmers and awareness rising regarding electrical safety also; local government should have accidental insurance and some funds for the people.
8. To develop the capacity in energy, awareness programme to women should be effective for the utilization of it.
9. The trainings related to new technologies of energy should provide to women for implementation new technology.
10. Proportional participation of women in energy related technical trainings should be insured.
11. The representation of women in every institution should be ensured according to the constitution of  Nepal, 2015.

Women network for Energy and Environment hosted an international workshop on Gender and Energy in Kathmandu on 28th March 2018, on the theme Electricity Access and the Changing Social Position of Women in Nepal in collaboration with Alternative Energy Promotion Center and TERI India. The workshop received immense interest and participation from stakeholders in the gender and energy realm in Nepal with over 55 participants representing civil society, energy practitioners, researchers and academia. The first platform of the workshop was about the presentation form the representative of the organization and the second section was the discussion on the issue.

WoNEE conducted A national workshop on GCF and gender mainstreaming in Nepal on November 26, 2018 at Kathmandu. The chief guest, Minister of Forest and Environment Shakti Bahadur Basnet inaugurated the workshop and express an appreciation to the organizer for raising the problem in relation to environment and also focusing on the women’s right. He also highlighted that while talking about environment we should talk both; possibilities and challenges so that helps in the process of development. The impact of Climate change is high in Nepal and the government is considering problem from all side and all aspects of society. In his view, mainstreaming is possible and at the same time necessary in relation to gender equality. The director of CIPRED, Dr. Pasang Dolma Sherpa clarified the policies especially Gender Policy on GCF and action plan, opportunities and challenges while mainstreaming the gender in Nepal. She asserts that women and men will equally contribute to adaptation and mitigation activities financed by the fund. This also indicates the women participation is equally important in relation to men. She adds, civil societies and project developer should have balanced vision to look the gender issue. The chairperson of WoNEE Kala Timalsina has presented the outcome of field study, 2018 about the gender policy and gender balance of national development authorities (NDA). From the field report she indicates no gender balance in the development process as only few women are involved in consultation process of the GCF project. She also presented the conclusion of field study which shows that GCF plays a vital role in adaptation of women’s livelihood that is impacted due to climate change.

A workshop on "Role of Women in Household Energy Efficiency" was organized on July 27, 2018 by Nepal Energy Foundation (NEF) in partnership with Woman Network for Energy and Environment (WoNEE), and Center for Energy Studies (CES). The event was organized in the hall of CES at Pulchowk Campus. Aim of workshop was to provide information about Energy Efficiency (EE) to women, and is expected to play an important role in promoting household Energy Efficiency. There were presence of more than 35 participants from different organizations including household women invited by WoNEE. The chief guests present in the workshop were Dr. Shree Raj Shakya, Director, CES,Nirupam Mishra, Engineer, Department of electricity development (DOED), Mr. Ramji Bhandari, Director, Energy Efficiency Department, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and Dr. Narayan Chaulagain, Deputy Chief Technical Advisor Nepal Energy Efficiency Program/GIZ. Similarly, LachanaShresthacharya from Asian Development Bank (ADB) and KarshanMaharjan from Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS) were also present. Dr. Shakya gave the welcome speech and highlighted the importance of EE among the participants. Similarly, Dr. Chaulagain presented about the EE, Problems in Energy Sector and ways to gain energy efficiency. Mr. Bhandari Presented about Energy Efficiency Policy, Status, and activities of NEA. He further explained the current activities carried out by NEA such as capacitor bank installment, smart street light program, grid connected energy efficient solar pump, promotion of energy efficient appliances, energy storage program, collection and study of online feeder data, etc. Detailed introduction on EE was presented by Mr. S. Sah and C.S.paudel from NEF. They showed how to use energy wisely, demerits of using inefficient appliances and ways to gain energy efficiency. Group work among the participant was conducted by Mr. DevendraAryal, Director, NEF to spread the knowledge regarding Enegy Efficiency. Mr. Dilli Prasad Ghimire, Managing Director, NEF concluded the workshop with his words followed by the vote of thanks from Mrs. Kala Timalsina, Chairperson, WoNEE.