The Breaking Barriers project has been launched in Kathmandu to increase the political representation, leadership development and access to policymaking of gender and sexual minority communities in Nepal. Funded by the European Union, the initiative is being implemented with ActionAid International Nepal, Lead Nepal, Samaveshi Manch Nepal and Mayako Pahichan Nepal. The project is set to work across four areas, according to the launch report.
Project targets representation and leadership
The initiative focuses on strengthening the participation of gender and sexual minority communities in political life and developing leadership within those communities. Its stated aims also include improving access to policy processes, connecting representation and leadership with the ability to engage in decisions that affect communities.
The project’s three stated priorities - political representation, leadership development and policy access - frame its work. While the announcement says the initiative will operate in four areas, the available details do not identify each area separately. The stated priorities indicate that the project is intended to address both participation in politics and engagement with policy.
Political representation is central to the project’s purpose. The initiative aims to increase the presence of gender and sexual minority communities in political spaces, while leadership development is intended to support people from those communities in taking on leadership roles. The announcement does not specify targets, timelines or particular activities for either goal.
EU funding and implementing partners
The European Union is funding the project, which is being implemented in partnership with ActionAid International Nepal, Lead Nepal, Samaveshi Manch Nepal and Mayako Pahichan Nepal. The partnership brings together four named organizations to carry out the initiative in Nepal. No budget, implementation period or division of responsibilities among the partners was provided in the available project summary.
The inclusion of policy access alongside representation and leadership makes engagement with policymaking another core objective. The project aims to improve access for gender and sexual minority communities, but the available announcement does not detail which policy processes it will engage with or what methods it will use.
A focus on participation in public decision-making
Taken together, the project’s stated objectives centre on enabling greater political participation and strengthening the capacity of gender and sexual minority communities to engage in leadership and policy. The launch in Kathmandu marks the start of an initiative supported by the EU and delivered through the four partner organizations.
Further details, including the names of the four areas of work and specific activities, were not included in the information available about the launch. The project’s stated direction is to expand political representation, develop leadership and improve policy access for gender and sexual minority communities in Nepal.
