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March 8, 2008, International Women's Day, a Women's Trek for Peace & Development was organized in collaboration with Adventure Sisters and other NGO...
 The Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI) through its Uniterra Program and partners, Federation of Community Forest Users Group (FECOFUN), Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO), Himalayan Indigenous Women's Network (HIWN)have been working to address the inequalities of excluded women within their programs. To broaden the scope and range of their voice both nationally and internationally we have organized Women's Trek for Peace and Development. This project has brought together Nepali and Canadian women activists from different walks of life and development workers to the remote mountain areas of Nepal to understand the issues for mountain women and then to communicate and advocate for their recognition and inclusion.
The project is multi-faceted with the main purpose of generating recognition of he role women play in promoting peace and development through three thematic treks in three regions fo Nepal which began on March 8, 2008, International Women's Day. Thre treks are designed around themes important to the promotion of peace and development in nepal - Women's Leadership (Myagdi), Health (Jumla) and Indigenous Livelihoods (Sankhuwasabha), with Peace as a cross-cutting theme. These themes were selected to build on what our national partners are working on in that area, in essence to add another dimension to their work and build their capacity at the same time. The participants in each trek come from background respective to the theme of the trek. We havee received Canadian political and community leaders, indigenous activists and health professionals. Both Nepali and Canadian photographers and journalists have accompanied each trek to document and interpret the experience. Representative of local partner organizations have acted as local facilitators and community organizers for each trek. As a follow up of the trek program, among others, there are photo exhibitions planned both in Canada and in Nepal, a documentary film and a book documenting the experiences.
The program is organized in collaboration with local organizations working for Women Empowerment. 3 Sisters Adventure / Empowering the Women of Nepal, a Nepali women’s trekking company and NGO, Adventure Sisters Trekking Company, and CECI Uniterra Program Partners: Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN), Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO), National Indigenous Women’s Federation (NIWF) and Himalayan Women’s (HIWN).
 
 
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