Survivors to Leaders: WOREC Holistic Support Model Builds Economic Autonomy and Leadership
Integrated Approach Towards Sustainable Livelihood Program
The Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC) was established in 1991 AD to advocate for human rights and social justice. Since its establishment, WOREC has been working on economic empowerment through sustainable livelihood programs. WOREC has adopted an integrated and holistic approach, focusing on transforming survivors into change-makers and leaders. WOREC’s sustainable livelihood programs include bio-intensive farming, eco-village development, agriculture, seed money support, entrepreneurship development, skill training, and the organization of women farmers under Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Campaigns. In 2023, WOREC adopted thematic areas, and these programs now belong to Ecological Justice and Women’s Leadership theme. In these sustainable livelihood programs, WOREC focuses not only on economic empowerment and livelihood but also on building the inner strength of survivors. This includes boosting self-confidence and self-esteem through the analysis of their lived experiences within the context of social structures. WOREC provides leadership opportunities, fosters social connections, networks and builds alliances. Throughout this process, WOREC also offers various services to survivors based on their needs, including psychosocial counseling, safe house support, and legal assistance. A rights-based and survivor-centered approach is central to this work, ensuring confidentiality, self-determination, a non-discriminatory environment, and the dignity of survivors.
From the fiscal year 2067/68 to 2080/81, WOREC provided seed money support to 5,436 women with the support and coordination of various governmental and non-governmental agencies. WOREC has its own Seed Money Fund Operation Guideline. Based on this guideline, WOREC identifies rights holders in coordination with local women-led organizations, women’s groups, and networks. This approach has helped with monitoring and providing guidance to the seed money recipients through local actors.
Afterward, WOREC conducts entrepreneurship and business plan development training to support the women in identifying the businesses they want to run, based on contextual and market analysis. Simultaneously, WOREC engages with women survivors of GBV in various ways, providing counseling, building confidence, and connecting them with different networks. This is not only a formal process, but the nature and approach of engagement with survivors are also considered, creating a safe space to share, build trust, and enhance sisterhood. This multidimensional approach demonstrates not only the economic empowerment process but also strengthens social and psychological resilience.
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