As the country undergoes a major political and administrative restructuring, CWIN will have to undergo a corresponding internal reorganization in order to retain its level of influence and efficacy at different tiers of the new structure. As more decisions get made at provincial rather than national levels, CWIN’s current role as a national NGO must be supplemented by a presence and capacity to advocate at the provincial capitals. Consequently, this period will be one in which CWIN has to have two sets of specific objectives, one internal and organizational, and the second, external and programmatic.
Specific programmatic objectives:
1. In this programme period, CWIN will carry out Advocacy through Action to bring progressive policies and laws related to children, matching the spirit of the new Constitution of Nepal, and encourage commitment towards children’s rights among duty bearers, communities and the state, and in particular, by 2020:
A. lobby for the endorsement of child friendly local governance and establishment of Child Protection Committees in all provinces at the earliest, providing capacity building support to the provincial governments as required.
B. lobby so that the necessary amendments to the existing Children’s Act to ensure Child Rights and Protection are introduced for discussion at the earliest in the new federal lawmaking body (equivalent to the Parliament), and passed, to ensure alignment with the protections in the new Constitution.
C. lobby for endorsement of the National Alcohol Policy by the new federal lawmaking body (equivalent to the Parliament) by converting it into a National Act at the earliest.
D. promote the National School Child Protection Policy for increased acceptance and compliance in all provinces. CWIN will work towards ensuring that 10 percent of the schools in 10 districts where CWIN is working endorse and implement the policy by 2020.
E. advocate for inclusion of children’s issues in the policies and development plans including in the national and provincial planning documents.
2. CWIN will strengthen Child Helpline Nepal 1098 in the six provinces where it currently functions as implementing organization, and establish a new Child Helpline unit in the seventh province [province no. 2] to directly support 9000 children in need of care and protection of children in need, work for gatekeeping to avoid institutionalization of children over a three year period, and educate and create 350,000 adult advocates and allies among the general public during this period..
3. CWIN will strengthen capacities and partnerships with our constituencies – children, adolescent girls and young people – for increasing their influence at policy and programmatic levels for protection of children from all forms of violence including commercial sexual exploitation, child marriage, trafficking and child labour exploitation. Ministries, government departments, local governments and/or Child Protection Committees will invite child representatives for consultations at least 5 times a year or 15 times over the three-year period.
4. CWIN will generate public awareness and enrich understanding of children’s issues and their rights through media and communications (Bal Sarokar TV and Bal Chautari Radio and Bal Sarokar Online Magazine by developing 10 new programmes, tracking TRPs and site visit data to understand reach. CWIN will ensure that its Digital Resource Centre expands its reach so that content is available for use to the general public by 2020.
5. CWIN will carry out seven baseline studies and three action-research studies by 2020, including a new situation analysis of children at risk in the urban areas of the Kathmandu valley, and a qualitative study of the coping strategies of street children and youth in the context of the new guidelines for working with street children introduced by the Central Child Welfare Board to understand the impact of these guidelines on the relevant constituencies.
6. CWIN will promote inclusion of children’s rights within broader social movements and development processes at national and international levels through strengthened networking and expressions of solidarity, in particular, through actions such as increasing opportunities for interaction between the Kishori Samuhas and the Women’s movement, providing capacity building support to the travel and tourism industry, minimizing child marriage in working districts and reach inputs from ECPAT International to children’s organizations on new threats in trafficking and online commercial sexual exploitation.
7. CWIN will strengthen CWIN Balika programme and establish a residential Self-Reliance Centre for girls and young women to provide opportunities for them to learn vocational training for self-reliance by 2020.
8. CWIN will work towards strengthening capacities of the government schools in the Kathmandu Valley and provide educational support to at least 20,000 children in need in the urban poor areas and in rural areas by 2020.
9. CWIN will continue its presence in the community through the Women and Children Empowerment and Livelihood Programme (WOCELIP) in partnership with Rural Development Tuki Association for community concientisation and empowerment of the women and the community for dignified livelihood in Dolakha district by reaching out to 7400 households in 8 VDCs in the northern belt.
10. CWIN will strengthen child mental health services in Nepal through completing the building for the first Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit in Kanti Children’s.
Brief Introduction to CWIN
In 1986, a group of impassioned university students from Tribhuvan University, united by their fervor for human rights, development, and social justice, shared a common vision: to pave a path toward a brighter future for the people, society, and nation.
With diverse academic backgrounds but a singular dedication to advocating for positive change, these students had already left their mark on the student activism, human rights, and pro-democracy movements of the era. Yet, as they stood on the cusp of their post-university lives, they yearned for something more impactful and truly meaningful.
The catalyst for their mission came through one of the group members, Gauri Pradhan’s stirring account of his participation in an international seminar held in Bangkok, Thailand. Being one of the members of the organizing committee of a regional organisation known as Child Workers in Asia (CWA), the seminar delved into the pressing issue of child labour. His impassioned retelling illuminated the gravity of the situation, shedding light on the plight of children in their homeland. Child labour was not a prominent issue then. The term “child rights” was scarcely heard amidst the then-regressive regime, while emerging human rights, women’s rights, and trade union movements concentrated their focus on democratic and political rights. The students were appalled by the pervasive ignorance surrounding the perils faced by children—from high mortality rates to exploitation and abuse, from hazardous labour to bonded servitude and trafficking.
In that transformative moment, the students resolved to take action. They pledged to champion the cause of child labor and child rights, advocating for the social emancipation of children from all forms of exploitation. They envisioned integrating children’s rights into the broader tapestry of social movements, weaving a fabric of freedom, peace, and equality. Their mission was clear: to protect, empower, and uplift the next generation, forging a path toward a brighter tomorrow.
Thus, CWIN-Nepal was born—a beacon of hope dedicated to safeguarding children living and working in the harshest of circumstances.
