WEP wins int'l award for rural credit approach

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 14: The Dubai Municipality and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) have selected the Women's Empowerment Programme (WEP) being implemented by Pact and The Asia Foundation as a winner of the 2000 Dubai International Award.

Out of more than 770 submissions received from over 110 countries, the WEP initiative was judged to be one of the ten 'Best Practices Award Winners' in improving the living environment, Pact said. The selection was assessed on the basis of tangible impact, partnership, sustainability, social inclusiveness and leadership in inspiring action and change.

The USAID funded WEP is being implemented in 21 districts of the Terai and mid-hills of Nepal for 130,000 women in approximately 6,500 economic groups. WEP is using a literacy-led approach in savings mobilisation and micro-enterprise training. It is building a unique savings-led empowerment village banking system in Nepal.

Recognising the potential of the WEP village banks, the World Bank also recently awarded Pact a grant in the bank's 'Development Marketplace 2000' competition. The Empowerment Village Banking model was selected from 1,500 competitors as one of 44 winning entries. The selection was based on a creative development approach that could prove workable on a large scale and expand credit accessibility.

Pact said that the WEP initiative would also be included in Habitat's 2000 Best Practices database and the lessons of WEP would be disseminated on CD-ROM, via the Internet at http://www.bestpractices.org, and through other media.

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