Narainapur Rural Municipality, Banke, has continued its efforts towards inclusive and equitable development. The Rural Municipality is working to review the legal provisions essential for inclusive and equitable development, assess their implementation and prepare appropriate action plans. Having prepared a strategic plan on Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), Narainapur Rural Municipality has now undertaken an audit of its implementation and current status.
A self-assessment of the status of gender equality, disability and social inclusion is essential for strengthening inclusive, responsive and accountable local governance. In accordance with the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Audit Procedure, 2080 (2023) issued by the Government of Nepal, the audit was conducted through a workshop organised by Narainapur Rural Municipality and facilitated by Innovation Hub Pvt. Ltd.
The workshop involved a detailed review of various indicators covering the Rural Municipality’s policies, programmes, budgets, plans, institutional structures, human resource management, capacity development, service delivery, governance and accountability. The workshop also analysed the level of participation and access of women, persons with disabilities, Dalit, Muslim, Madhesi, Tharu and other marginalised communities in local governance and development processes.
The GEDSI audit is an important process for assessing the overall performance of a local government from a gender-responsive and inclusive perspective. The audit is expected not only to identify the extent to which local government policies and programmes are inclusive, but also to identify areas requiring improvement and support the preparation of future action plans.
The workshop was attended by Ishteyaq Ahmad Shah, Chairperson of Narainapur Rural Municipality, Ward Chairpersons, Executive Members and other representatives of the Rural Municipality.
The workshop was facilitated by Chandra Prakash Sharma of Innovation Hub Pvt. Ltd.
Narainapur Rural Municipality has stated that it conducts the GEDSI audit regularly every year. Based on the findings of the audit, the Rural Municipality aims to make its policies, programmes and budgets for subsequent years more inclusive, responsive and results-oriented.
