FEMINIST DALIT ORGANIZATION::INTRODUCTION

Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) is a national level organization dedicated to the rights of Dalit women in Nepal established 10 years ago is now well known Dalit women’s organization and has earned a good reputation. This is established in 1994 by a group of concerned educated women from the Dalit community. It has a network of 11 district chapters namely Siraha, Udaypur, Dhankuta, Lalitpur, Rupandehi, Doti, Dang, Kailali, Surkhet, Makwanpur and Salyan which the last four are newly established chapters and expanding in a rapid pace. FEDO has been actively involved in awareness building among Dalit women, advocacy for Dalit rights and against caste discrimination. As an organization working for the rights of Dalit women in Nepal, FEDO by this year has been an important voice of Dalit women through awareness and advocacy process.

Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) is challenging with Nepalese Culture and Custom to throw out the bad systems and negative eye’s views for Dalit women. FEDO needs the program to make them capable in order that they can bring about change in their living style.

With a view to making just and equitable society and for promoting the socio-economic aspects of the Dalit community specially, the Dalit women and children, FEDO puts special emphasis on caste and gender mainstreaming through Dalit women empowerment program for the implementation in right earnest.

FEDO has participatory approach to development. Programs are decided upon assessing the needs of the local community. The aim of FEDO while conducting its projects is to increase the ownership of the project among the community members. We expect maximum involvement of the community. Since its inception FEDO has been successful in raising Dalit women’s voices in the grass-root to national and international level and increased people’s awareness. FEDO has lobbied with national planners, policy makers, and political leaders to bring Dalit issues into mainstreaming. Some of the remarkable achievements have been

Durga Sob, president of FEDO, is the Member Secretary of National Dalit Commission
FEDO has led Dalit women movement in Nepal and organized Dalit women against discrimination
Dalit women have been elected into local government at VDC levels
Enabled Dalit women and Dalit boys to become mid-level health service provider
FEDO has helped groups of women to run micro-enterprises.
Tulsi Mehar Samaj Sewa Prize of Social Welfare Council awarded FEDO on this year 2003.

FEDO envisions that “Just and Equitable Society” where Dalit women gain right and opportunity to life, equity, equality, development and participation.

FEDO understand its role as against caste and gender discrimination to promote human rights and social justice into the society. The society strives to facilitate the creation of equal status of living condition and a better future for Dalit women.

Goals:

Increase the literacy rate among Dalit women and children through formal and non-formal education
Generate local fund through the mobilization of saving and credit groups
Create awareness against caste and gender discrimination
Improve the health condition through health awareness and primary health care services to Dalit women and children
Develop viable community based organization of Dalit women in order to sustain the activities initiated by the project
Provide skill development training to Dalit youths

Education program focus on children and women from Dalit communities to upgrade their low educational status by increasing literacy skills and raising awareness on the importance of education. It has following objectives.

To increase the literacy rate of Dalit women by conducting literacy classes.
To inspire Dalit girls students for higher education.
To increase the rate of school going children in Dalit community.

This will be accomplished to expand the economic possibilities by promoting existing and new micro enterprises, which can be self-sustaining and economically profitable with following objectives.

To mobilize Dalit women groups in income generating and skill development activities for their economic empowerment.
Modernize occupational skills of Dalits in creation of self-employment opportunities.

Health and sanitation program focuses on improving sanitation, nutritional status, sound environment and enhancing the knowledge and practices on health and sanitation related habits and their preventive behavior. It has following objectives.

To improve the health conditions of Dalit community through conducting basic health, water and sanitation programs.
To produce health technical manpower in the Dalit community.

Advocacy program focus to reduce caste and gender discrimination from the society to be established equality into the society with following objectives.

To create awareness against gender and caste discrimination.
To carry out action research on policy issues which address the strategic needs of Dalit women with the view to advance the status of Dalit women for a more equitable society.
To promote democratization of political development by broadening the base of Dalit women’s participation in public life.
To support the full and equal participation of Dalits in power structures and decision-making at all levels.

Institutional Development will be working to scale-up ongoing organizational capacity building efforts. Staffs and volunteers working with FEDO including district and village chapters need additional inputs for updating knowledge, skills and attitude. Training and orientation programs will be carried out for this purpose. Objectives are:

To institutionalize FEDO by establishing Dalit resource center and developing office mechanism.
To provide capacity building training to produce trained Dalit women and men in development process.

Challenges of FEDO:

FEDO have faced many challenges to take Dalit women movement for their upliftment and deliverance. It is going to threaten the challenges to overcome from step to step. The following challenges are envisaged by FEDO in the connection of working for Dalit community. These includes following elements, which are –

Ignorance and Illiteracy among the Dalit community people.
Poverty and backwardness.
Patriarchal society and social hierarchy.
Ineffective implementation of government policy, laws and programs.

To implement development programs focussing on Dalit women and children based on needs.
To raise awareness and advocate based on rights at local, national and international level to reduce the caste and gender discrimination.

Values:

FEDO believes in LIBERATION of Dalits and it emphasizes the role of Dalit women & children for the upliftment and liberation of Dalit society. We heartly accept following organizational values to address the vision, mission, goal and objectives of FEDO. LIBERATION means:

L = Liability: We need liability from all citizens for the unpliftment and liberation of Dalits.

I = Integrity: We believe in integrity to move ahead in our work and speed.

B = Building Coalition and Support between Dalits and non-Dalits and among influential persons for change.

E = Empowerment: The process of empowerment should make strong to reduce all forms of caste and gender discrimination.

R = Respect: We should provide respect to all citizens living into the society.

A = Access: Dalit’s women access should be increased in political and socio-economic development process.

T = Talk: No possibility of social movement without talk and exchange of ideas between Dalits and non-Dalits.

I = Identity: We should identify social identity and present obstacles for our work in the favour of Dalits.

O = Omit: We should omit negative results in the connection of learning process:

N = Nice and effective: We make every action nice and effective.