Outcome NPL_D_1.2

By 2027, more people, especially women, youth, children, and the most marginalized and poor, increasingly participate in and benefit from equitably improved quality social services at federal, provincial, and local levels. (UNSDCF Outcome 2)

Some progress was made towards this outcome. More women especially from the excluded groups started participating in and benefiting from improved quality social services at federal, provincial, and local levels. A total of 500 Gender-based Violence (GBV) survivors accessed lifesaving services, including legal aid, referral, and counseling, which addressed critical cases of domestic violence, GBV and abuse. Moreover, 27 women in Madhesh and Bagmati provinces are now benefitting from social protection schemes after successfully obtaining the legal documentation, such as citizenship, marriage and birth certificates. Their children have now received nutrition cards, enabling them to receive NPR 500 each month under the Child Protection Grant (nutrition grant) for children under 5 years old. Through citizenship acquisition, a legal recognition, has enhanced their social and economic empowerment, providing opportunities previously inaccessible to them such as opening bank accounts and employment opportunities. The Storytelling initiative yielded significant results under this Outcome, which encompass; seven local governments allocated NPR 219,000 (approx. USD 1,643) for implementing Community Action Plans (CAPs) developed by Self-Help Groups (SHGs) aimed at promoting positive social norms, addressing harmful practices, and organizing a village referral clinic to support GBV survivors. The SHG members implemented 65 CAPs in four provinces, as an instrumental in driving grassroots social change, fostering awareness, and promoting positive norm and practices. As a result, they sensitized 3,691 community members on harmful social norms and gender equality. Notably, the Mahadev SHG in Haripurwa-3 intervened alongside the local ward chairperson to prevent the child marriage of a 14-year-old girl, safeguarding her future. These SHG members are also actively participating in local-level planning processes, advocating for gender-focused budgeting and programming to address gender-discriminatory norms and practices. In addition, the progress achieved by the Badi women’s group has been transformative. Once stigmatized as Dalits and entertainers for high-caste individuals, they now work with ward committees and other stakeholders to implement CAPs focusing on GBV prevention, caste-based discrimination, and child marriage. A total of 25 Badi women led sensitization campaigns on these issues, demonstrating their newfound leadership role. Pre- and post-session assessments revealed significant attitude shifts amongst community members in four provinces on harmful norms and practices. Disagreement with the statement “Education is more important for boys than girls” increased by 30%, while belief in the notion “women need protection from men” dropped by 68%. Agreement with “Household decisions should be made jointly” rose from 44% to 97%. In the words of a male participant in a dialogue group in Laxman BK: 'I realized that harmful and discriminatory norms are significant barriers to realize gender equality. Generations of our ancestors struggled with these issues, and our generation is facing the same struggle. This must end, and we need to advocate for and embrace positive change. Such dialogues should be initiated in other communities, neighborhoods, and wards across local government units.' UN Women contributed to these results by providing technical and financial support to implement initiatives such as storytelling, SHG capacity building, and village clinics in partnership with the local governments and civil society organizations, namely Justice and Rights Institute Nepal, Center for Dalit Women Nepal, Women Human Rights Nepal and Didi Bahini, LACC focusing on facilitating legal aid services establishing referral clinics and driving the social norms change at the community level. The role of UN Women was also commended by the local government during the Project advisory committee meeting. These interventions were completed with financial contribution from the Government of Finland and Multi-Partner Trust Fund (Sweden and Norway). Based on the progress made so far, the original strategy and theory of change for this outcome is largely applicable. Hence, they remain the same. If as expected this strategy is successful, then by 2027, more women and girls including those from the most marginalized communities will benefit from quality social services including GBV services at federal, provincial, and local levels.

By 2027, more people, especially women, youth, children, and the most marginalized and poor, increasingly participate in and benefit from equitably improved quality social services at federal, provincial, and local levels. (UNSDCF Outcome 2)

Substantive progress was achieved towards this outcome. Women and girls, particularly from marginalized communities, progressively accessed and benefited from enhanced social services related to the prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV), psychosocial well-being, justice, and social protection. Concurrently, local governments and community institutions exhibited increased responsiveness and accountability in providing survivor-centered and inclusive services. Monitoring data and partner reports confirm that 7,274 women and individuals from marginalized groups accessed information and services related to GBV, including psychosocial counselling, legal aid, and referrals. Of these, 1,316 women received intensive services, including 295 Dalit, 376 Madhesi, 360 Janajati, 257 Brahmin/Chhetri/Thakuri, 27 Muslim, and 1 from other groups, underscoring outreach to women facing intersecting forms of exclusion. Access to psychosocial support expanded through community-based sessions facilitated by 13 trained women counsellors, reaching 4,449 individuals (4,315 women and 134 men). Notably, 40 women proactively sought one-on-one counselling, indicating early behavior change and community trust in locally available mental health services. The storytelling midline study findings revealed measurable shifts in key social norms when compared to the baseline. Notably, there was increased community acceptance of survivors seeking support, greater recognition of GBV as a collective concern, and a visible reduction in stigma around mental health discussions. There was also a shift in gender role perceptions, with more respondents affirming women's rights to mobility, decision-making, and participation in community forums. The uptake of Community Action Plans and increased male engagement in sensitization activities contributed to greater endorsement of gender equality and support for inclusive practices at the household and community levels. Institutional responsiveness strengthened at the local level. Six local governments allocated NPR 215,000 (USD 1,490) to support survivor-centered services and prevention mechanisms, including village-level referral clinics and implementation of Community Action Plans. In parallel, 180 Community Action Plans were implemented across four provinces, strengthening community-to-service linkages and enabling earlier identification of risks and increased help-seeking behavior. These efforts contributed to the sensitization of 7,650 community members (2,334 men and boys and 5,316 women) on harmful social norms and gender equality. Outcome-level changes in dignity and social inclusion were also evident. In Banepa Municipality, collective community advocacy enabled access to a previously restricted temple and the official renaming of a stigmatized “Dalit settlement” as an “Inclusive Community,” reflecting tangible shifts in local governance practices and social relations with implications for equitable access to public spaces and services. UN Women contributed to these results by providing strategic support to strengthen survivor-centered services, referral systems, and gender-inclusive planning. It coordinated multi-stakeholder efforts on justice, mental health, social norms, and quality assurance, ensuring rights-based, accountable service delivery. UN Women also enabled coordination among civil society organizations, local governments, and service providers to advance gender equality. Partner organizations and self-help groups facilitated access to services, led grassroots advocacy, and strengthened community-government engagement. Development partners such as the Government of Finland provided technical and financial support, while local governments contributed resources and institutional backing. While the original strategy and theory of change largely still apply, the midline study has reiterated the need for integrating social norms across thematic areas including communications and policy advocacy. The focus on shifting social norms, community mechanisms, and engaging institutions offers a clear path to creating equitable, gender-responsive social service systems. If maintained, these efforts are expected to produce impact-level changes within two years, with more women and girls- especially from marginalized groups- gaining safety, dignity, and agency, while accessing institutionalized, inclusive, high-quality social services at federal, provincial, and local levels.

By 2027, more people, especially women, youth, children, and the most marginalized and poor, increasingly participate in and benefit from equitably improved quality social services at federal, provincial, and local levels. (UNSDCF Outcome 2)

There has been some progress on this outcome. A total of 330 women, girls and LGBTIQ+ persons have benefited from quality social services. Among them, 40 (Dalit- 29, Janajati 4 and Brahamin/Chhetri- 7 all women) gender-based violence (GBV) survivors were able to access range of services including health care, psychosocial support, shelter, police and justice services. Further, 34 women and individuals from excluded groups (22 female, 12 male including 32 Dalit and 2 Brahamin/Chhetri) were able to secure social security allowance/social assistance from LGUs including their legal identities. They were provided with briefing, guidance in filling up the application forms, and accompaniment support in approaching government offices. These services were provided by eight local referral mechanisms in Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces established with support from the storytelling imitative implemented by UN Women. This capacity enhancement is quantitatively supported by the number of service providers trained and the mechanisms established, demonstrating a substantial improvement in coordinated, survivor-centered care. The formation of these referral mechanism led to more strategic discussions and effective policy dialogues. This is reflected in the qualitative improvement in policy approaches and the increased frequency of these discussions, indicating a behavioral change among local policy makers and stakeholders. Further, a total of 256 people (114 female, 79 male and 63 others) including living with HIV and LGBTIQ+ accessed psychosocial support through Blue Diamond Society, an implementing partner of UN Women. The counselling sessions included issues related to psychological and mental stress about their lives of sexual orientation, family pressure for marriage, social stigma, and sexual abuse from their own relatives. Further, 875 members (all women) of the self-help groups (SGHs) have started actively participating in decision-making processes at the local level including for improved social services and challenge gender discriminatory norms and harmful practices including Chhaupdai practices, and no longer tolerate sheds. This was evidenced by 16 community action plans (CAPs) developed and implemented by these SGHs established under the storytelling initiative of UN Women, implemented by JURI Nepal and Centre for Dalit Women Nepal. As a result of these CAPs and family and community sessions, community members were able to strengthen their understanding of GBV, HIV and LGBTIQ+ issues and gained awareness of available formal support services. A compelling example is Dhansara Badi (Storytelling project participant), who initially perceived household chores as exclusively her daughter's responsibility. Through persistent efforts, she successfully altered this long-held belief and began involving her son in household responsibilities. Overcoming entrenched practices and convincing her son to share the responsibilities proved to be a challenging endeavor. Nevertheless, Dhansara triumphed in persuading both herself and her son, promoting a willingness on his part to actively participate in sharing the household duties with his sister. Dhansara's change of perspective highlights the significant impact of the SHGs in challenging ingrained beliefs and encouraging positive transformation within the community.