Peace & Protection

Restoring hope and creating social justice for women and vulnerable sections of society

1. Ending Domestic Violence

Many Nepali people still believe that a husband may beat a disobedient wife. Survivors of violence are at the centre of UMN’s strive for gender equality. In self-help groups, women become aware of their rights. Together, they develop a system for protecting themselves. Men and family members are enabled to perceive their social roles differently and embark on the journey of ending domestic violence.

2. Inter-faith and Inter-cultural Peace Promotion

UMN promotes respect and interaction between different religious, ethnic and caste groups. We empower youth to heal broken relationships between groups and religious and traditional leaders to start putting common values above dividing dogmas. Through various approaches, we foster acceptance and respect for diversity, thereby enabling conflicting groups to collaborate, fulfilling collective and personal needs.

3. Fighting Human Trafficking

With the false promise of good jobs abroad, many young Nepali women and men are tricked into exploitation and misery. UMN supports the creation of grassroots-level systems and networks that identify and ward off traffickers. These networks/groups work as local-level watch groups to challenge human trafficking. They educate locals on its causes and effects alongside making duty bearers accountable, including the police in their duty to protect all citizens and to prosecute criminals.

4. Transforming Harmful Traditions

In the Western parts of Nepal, women are declared ‘impure’ during menstruation and many of them are still banned from the house at this time. This taboo is called ‘chhaupadi’. UMN encourages girls and young women to gain a positive image of their bodies and to participate equally in social life. In this regard, we develop the understanding and accountability of men, boys and religious leaders. Communities and their leaders are helped to distinguish between culture and such harmful traditions.

5. Addressing Child Marriage

We educate families that a daughter has the same value as a son. When UMN promotes such changes, the average age of marriage increases. We work with girls, men, families, duty bearers, alongside religious, community and political leaders to challenge this harmful practice. In the terai (lowlands bordering India), we help dismantle the ruinous and legally-prohibited practice of giving dowry along with a bride.

6. Local Capacities for Peace

UMN promotes knowledge and practices of non-violent conflict resolution in communities by building their skills for conflict resolution and developing local-level formal and informal conflict resolution mechanisms. To promote peace at the local level, we help community (ward)-level mediators to be trained and strengthened in their functions and we collaborate with judicial committees, a government mechanism for promoting peace and justice.

Clusters We Work In

Related Projects

Gender Equality/ Samanata project - Nawalparasi West

Ending Domestic Violence through Community Dialogue and Mediation - Nawalparasi West

Local Capacity for Peace - Kapilvastu

Improve Action Against Domestic violence - Kapilvastu

ProAct Project - Rukum East