Advocacy & Campaign- overview

World Vision International Nepal's work in advocacy aims to strengthen strategic collaborations on identified thematic areas for the well-being of children. It also aims to foster research and innovation, focusing on the areas of social accountability and sustainable development goals, campaigns, child-friendly local governance, and policy formulation. 

The goal is to ensure that these efforts help to strengthen various systems and structures, including the allocation and utilisation of resources that are required to improve the lives of children in Nepal by working together with federal, provincial and local governments, civil societies, the private sector, donors, academia, and inter-faith networks. 

Local to national to global advocacy for policy influence 

World Vision International Nepal collaborated with the Government at all levels to influence the policies related to children. As a result of our continuous engagement with the Government ministries, 24 policy and guideline development processes have been supported at the federal and provincial levels. World Vision facilitated the children’s engagement component and children from WVI Nepal working areas were engaged in the Regional Child Labor Forum and provided input to finalize the SAARC level regional action plan on child labor. Similarly, WVI Nepal partnered in the regional child marriage forum in Kathmandu. The children from across the country participated in the forum and put forward recommendations to the Government delegates on the urgency of the issue of child and early marriage.

To influence the UNCRC reporting process, a national validation workshop was convened where children from children from different provinces of Nepal actively participated on the issues identified at provincial level workshops. A five-member report writing team has been formed for reporting where a child representation has also been ensured. In the partnership with the Nepal SDGs Forum a provincial dialogue was organized in Madhesh province. The event was a platform for in-depth discussions and presentations aimed at advancing the understanding and implementation of the SDGs at the province level. Likewise, the national level workshop entitled, ‘Progress review and consultation meeting on SDG indicators related to children’ was organized in Kathmandu following the Provincial discussions to further scale up the issues raised at the provinces.  

Child Friendly Local Governance 

World Vision supported five wards to achive Child Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) indicators. Following the rigorous effort of the local governments with the support from different stakeholders including World Vision over the past few years, Besisahar Wards 2 and 10 in Lamjung, Udayapurgadhi Ward 1 in Udayapur, Tinpatan Ward 5 in Sindhuli, and Kirtipur Ward 7 in Kathmandu have been declared CFLG in 2023. Declaration of CFLG has ensured the fulfilment and commitment of the local Government to eliminate child marriage and child labour from their communities. Upon request from Bheri Municipality, Jajarkot,World Vision supported to the municipality and CSOs working on child rights with an orientation workshop on CFLG as well as on developing the plan to execute CFLG. Adopting the plan, the municipality has set a target to declare CFLG in their municipality by December 2025. To continue the positive momentum World Vision collaborated with National CFLG Forum to amplify the national advocacy on CFLG. This partnership has convened various trainings and national level workshops together with Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA), Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen (MoWCSC) and, National Child Rights Council (NCRC). A guideline related to Child Congress through MoFAGA has also been introduced through this partnership. As a result of continued lobbying, MoFAGA endorsed the guidelines and requested all municipalities to adopt the guidelines. 

It Takes Nepal to End Child Marriage Campaign 

World Vision has formally ended the child marriage campaign in the fiscal year 2023. World Vision has urged all stakeholders to keep joining hands to continue the momentum of the campaign. World Vision International Nepal between the period of 2017-2023 collaborated with the Government at all levels, political leaders, diplomats, civil society representatives, children, academia, and private sectors. To bring impact through the campaign by strengthening systems, changing behaviors of children, adolescents, and their families, and influencing the effective implementation of policy, World Vision collaborated with more than 70 partner in Nepal. The campaign reached almost 450,000 children, adolescents, young people, and their families through campaign initiatives including awareness-raising events, popular mobilisations, collaboration with mega events such as cricket premier league, Private and Boarding Schools Organisation Nepal, film festivals as well as intensive engagement with the governments in local, provincial and federal level. More than 550 child marriages have been stopped as a result of campaign initiatives while various stakeholders have been sensitised to influence the prevention of countless more through changed community attitudes towards child marriage. 

Leveraging Advocacy Support and Citizen Voice and Action to facilitate local advocacy 

World Vision has been implementing Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) in its health and education program. In FY23, 65 health facilities have adopted CVA under health program and, more than 100 schools are implementing CVA in our education programme. The CVA groups work to ensure accountability by working closely with the health facilities and school management committees. The groups have been capacitated on the policy provisions and existing implementation practices of CVA through various workshops. 

This factsheet provides an overview of World Vision International Nepal’s Policy and Advocacy interventions, 2021-2025.