Family Centered Approach: supporting women conflict victims in Nepal

The Nepalese Civil War caused irreparable damage to the country and its people. Despite the Comprehensive Peace Accord being signed in 2006, a huge number of victims still seek truth, justice and reconciliation.

Women and girls, particularly those from marginalised communities, were among the worst affected. Many women lost their husbands and faced economic disempowerment, social stigma, and ongoing gender-based violence (GBV) in the years following the war.

The Family Centered Approach is an innovative social and economic intervention model for women victims of GBV, originally developed in South Africa and previously adapted by International Alert in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Over the course of a 15-week programme, 40 women conflict victims and their families learnt about transforming negative gender norms and increasing economic engagement of women. The approach enhances knowledge and skill on household financial management and support families with their own income-generating activities like sewing and farming.

A new documentary from International Alert shows how the FCA programme has changed damaging dynamics within families and helped the participants with their businesses. Hearing from participating women who have seen a reduction in verbal and physical violence within their families, it shows how victims’ physical and mental health has improved, and that women are feeling empowered to advocate for their rights and justice.

The physical, emotional, economic and social scars of the decade-long civil war are still being felt in Nepal. The FCA programme is helping people heal and rebuild.

Find out more about how the Family Centered Approach has supported women conflict victims and their families in Nepal: