PAANI PROGRAM | पानी परियोजना GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION ANALYSIS This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by DAI Global LLC. The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. Cover photo: Focus group discussion held in November 2018 as part of GESI assessment. Group included Dalit and marginalized community members impacted by environmental damage from unplanned road construction in Thalara Rural Municipality, Bajhang District of West Seti Watershed. Photo credit: USAID Paani Program/ Govinda Bhandari This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by DAI Global LLC. The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. PAANI PROGRAM | पानी परियोजना GENDER EQUITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION ANALYSIS PROGRAM TITLE: USAID PAANI PROGRAM DAI PROJECT NUMBER: 1002810 SPONSORING USAID OFFICE: USAID/NEPAL IDIQ NUMBER: AID-OAA-I-14-00014 TASK ORDER NUMBER: AID-367-TO-16-00001 CONTRACTOR: DAI GLOBAL LLC DATE OF PUBLICATION: APRIL 30, 2019 AUTHOR: BARUN GURUNG CONTENTS BACKGROUND 4 PURPOSE 4 ACTIVITY & TASK SUMMARY 5 METHODOLOGY 5 1. NUMBER OF PEOPLE INTERVIEWED 5 2. METHODS AND TOOLS 6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY 6 1. INNOVATION SYSTEMS APPROACH 6 2. PROGRAM INNOVATION STAGES 7 SOCIAL EXCLUSION / INCLUSION 7 1. THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF AN ORGANIZATION 8 2. ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORK (SEE ANNEX 2 FOR QUESTIONS) 9 3. QUALITY OF PARTICIPATION AND DECISION MAKING 9 LEADERSHIP PRACTICE AND GESI 10 THE STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT 11 ACCOMPLISHMENTS, OUTPUTS & DELIVERABLES 11 SECTION 1: GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN WATER PLANNING 11 1.1 INTRODUCTION 11 1.2 GESI AND NATIONAL PLANNING 12 1.3 GESI AND WATER RESOURCES 12 1.4 WUMP: AN OPPORTUNITY? 13 SECTION 2. GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE PROGRAM GOALS AND STRUCTURE 13 2.1 INTRODUCTION 14 2.2 SETTING THE CONTEXT 14 2.3 CHALLENGES 15 2.4 SUMMARY 17 SECTION 3: CAPACITY NEEDS OF GRANT RECIPEINT ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 18 3.1 INTRODUCTION 18 3.2 CHALLENGES 18 3.3 OPPORTUNITIES 21 3.4 SUMMARY 22 SECTION 4: THE INTERSECTION OF GENDER, CASTE, ETHNICITY AND POVERTY 22 4.1 INTRODUCTION 22 4.2 SETTING THE CONTEXT OF MARGINALIZATION 23 4.3 STATUS OF WOMEN AND DALITS IN THE PAANI PROGRAM AREAS 24 4.4 SUMMARY 31 RECOMMENDATIONS & NEXT STEPS 32 WHAT MANAGEMENT MUST DO 32 WHAT GESI – TEAM MUST DO 33 ANNEXES 34 ANNEX 1: STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN FOR GESI INTEGRATION IN PAANI PROGRAM 35 INTERMEDIATE RESULTS 35 CONTRACT SPECIFIED OUTCOMES 35 GESI-OUTCOMES 35 INDICATORS 35 REQUIRED INPUTS/ACTIONS 35 ANNEX 2: ACTION PLAN 37 ANNEX 3: REFERENCES REVIEWED AND CITED 39 ANNEX 4: CHECKLIST OF KEY ITEMS FOR AN ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS 41 ANNEX 5: TOOLS FROM GENDER ANALYSIS 44 ANNEX 6: FRAMEWORK FOR GESI ANALYSIS OF PAANI PROGRAM 46 ANNEX 7: INTERVIEWS AND MAPPING EXERCISES WITH FOCUS GROUPS 47 ANNEX 8: MAPPING EXERCISES 51 51 57 ANNEX 9: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING FOCUS GROUPS 61 ANNEX 10: LIST OF PERSONS AND ORGANIZATION CONTACTED 63 BACKGROUND The Nepal Paani Program is a 5 year, $25 million USAID-funded Project in Nepal, awarded on April 11, 2016. Water is the single most important natural resource underpinning Nepal’s economy and livelihoods. The sustainable management of water resources in Nepal depends on addressing climate change and protecting healthy, biodiverse ecosystems. PANI aims to enhance Nepal’s ability to manage water resources for multiple uses and users through climate change adaptation and the conservation of freshwater biodiversity. The focus will be at the watershed, basin, and national scales and the project has approximately $5 million in grants and activity procurements. This goal will be reached by meeting the following objectives: Reduce threats to freshwater biodiversity in the Karnali, Mahakali, and Rapti river basins. Increase the ability of targeted human and ecological communities to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change through improved water management. This will be accomplished through four intermediate results (IRs): IR 1 – Increased knowledge, engagement, and benefits for local water users IR 2 – Improved river-basin-level resource management IR 3 – Increased coordination and strengthened enabling environment IR 4 – Expanded knowledge base PURPOSE The overall purpose of the study was to assess the extent to which GESI integration has been considered and actualized in the design and implementation of any Paani program strategic approaches, and if these resulted in equitable access of program benefits to women and marginalized communities such as Dalits, Janajati including Majhi, Bote, Kumal, Rajhi, Badi and Sonaha/Fisher Communities of Mahakali, Rapti and Karnali River Basins. The more specific purpose of the study was twofold: To conduct an analysis of the GESI situation within the different watersheds and Identify the capacity needs of partners and local governments to mainstream GESI in all Paani activities. The activities indicated in the terms of reference included the following: (i) Conduct GESI assessment in the Paani program areas. This assessment would include examining the root causes and its impacts of GESI issues identified from Paani’s watershed. (ii) Conduct analysis of critical institutional, legal, regulatory, policy and capacity gaps on GESI integration in the current transition stage to decentralization process E.g. Does the country’s existing legal and regulatory framework include policies and legislation on gender equality and social inclusion on water rights and access to water resources? Are water resource use and management policies and benefit sharing mechanisms that are in place, GESI sensitive? What are the institutional and cultural barriers that could prevent women and marginalized communities’ access to water resources and equitably sharing benefits from water resources? (iii) Conduct assessment on the training and capacity building needs of rural municipalities, municipalities, local government line agencies and community-based organizations involved or potential to be involved in the Paani programs and in the specific location. (iv) Review and analyze collected data and information to produce the GESI Assessment Report Produce detailed final report on the GESI assessment. Develop and present root causes and its impact of GESI issues and with recommendations and a Plan of Action with measurable indicators for results linked to the 11 strategic approaches. ACTIVITY & TASK SUMMARY The report contains the findings of the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion study that was conducted in December 2018. Additionally, it lays out a strategy for GESI-integration in the Program’s outcomes and activities, while also outlining some key recommendations and an Action Plan for implementation. While the overall purpose of the study was to assess the extent of GESI integration in the design, and the impacts of the Paani Program on its various beneficiaries, the specific goals were two-fold: • To conduct an analysis of the GESI situation with the different watersheds and; • To identify the capacity needs of partners and local governments to mainstream GESI in all Paani activities. METHODOLOGY The study was led by the consultant and supported by the Paani GESI team. There were two parts to the study: • The first consisted of a review of Paani annual work plan and the small grant proposals; a review of the GESI framework for Nepal, papers related to the National Strategy for Water Use Management and Planning (WUMP) and Methods’ documents to assess women’s empowerment in Knowledge; Leadership and Income (see www.wplus.org). • The second part of the study consisted of field visits in three river basins: Mahakali, Karnali, and Rapti. 1. NUMBER OF PEOPLE INTERVIEWED During the field visit to the six watersheds, a total of 212 people were interviewed in a combination of focus groups and individual interview sessions. The majority of interviewees were members of User Groups of the Paani Program, elected officials of the Local Governments, and several selected individuals from local communities. A total of 200 members of varying backgrounds attended the focus groups; five elected officials were from local governments, and seven members of the local communities that were not affiliated to the Paani Program. Below is a table of individuals disaggregated by sex, caste, and ethnicity. FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS:14 Caste/Ethnicity Total Female Male Dalit 63 35 28 Janajati 79 61 18 BCTS1 53 23 30 Newar 5 1 4 Total 200 120 80 2. METHODS AND TOOLS Key questions for the analysis were derived from the 9-box organizational framework and gender analysis frameworks (Annex 8). All discussions that were conducted in focus groups were followed by interview sessions with selected informants. Both the discussions and interviews were guided by ethnographic principles that relied on viewing people in their cultural setting, and valuing close-up, personal experiences of the subjects. A combination of tools from gender analysis, ethnographic practice and organizational analysis were applied. These included the following: • 9-box framework analysis to understand the inner workings of local governments and user groups; • Activity Profile to understand the differential labor inputs of women and men in subsistence activities; • Access/Control Profile; to determine who has access to resources within households and who has decision -making power over the use and sale of resources • 24-time clock; to determine the differential work burdens of women and men • Seasonal Calendars; to determine the periods of food insecurity and alternative livelihood strategies employed by people CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY The conceptual framework adopted for the study draws on discrete but inter related concepts that are central to an improved understanding of processes that produce and reproduce social asymmetries based on gender and social exclusion.