History of EDC-Nepal
Equality Development Center was
established in 1997 by a group of energetic oppressed Dalit youths in
Doti district with the objective of improving the socio- economic, cultural and
educational development of rural and urban Dalits, women, poor and
marginalized. The EDC-Nepal has been registered in Doti district and was
affiliated with the Social Welfare Council, Kathmandu in 1999.
EDC has remarkable experiences in
Right based Advocacy especially Dalit, women and children, livelihood, good
governance, gender and social inclusion, quality education and nutrition, DRR
and humanitarian response including those related to campaigns against gender
and caste discriminations and feminist leadership development. Similarly, it
has experiences on evidence based advocacy, campaign, capacity building,
networking as well as community empowerment and mobilization.
It has been conducted different projects
related to Dalt and women empowerment, access to justice, Good governance,
Quality education, access to recourses and services, livelihood, Health and
sanitaton, WASH and nutration, DRR, Sustainable agricultre development and
climate reselient and humanitarian response etc.
EDC itself is an only social
development organization working in Doti district as a gender resource
organization and Dalit organization. It has own building and three Ropani land
including adequate official equipment, furnitures, and experienced, skillful
human resources and expertise.
EDC-Nepal belives an unity,
Participation, human behaviour and equity. This principles of ours has led us
to adopt a HRBA approach to social transformation and social justices. We
believe in participatory and inclusive approach, covering all the community of
the society, particularly Dalit, women, youth, children and the
underprivileged, in a working areas.
EDC- Nepal is an organization
established through a campaign against caste-based untouchability, gender
discrimination, and inequality. Under the leadership of this organization, a
district-level community feast was organized in Doti District to combat
caste-based discrimination. Since 2058 BS, this organization has been
continuously conducting campaigns against caste discrimination and
untouchability. On Bhadra 10, 2063 BS, EDC-Nepal had launched a campaign
for entry into the famous Shaileshwari Temple in the district.
After a three-month-long campaign
led by EDC-Nepal, on Kartik 2, 2063 BS, the campaign for Dalit entry into
Shaileshwari Temple was successfully achieved in a harmonious
environment. During the Shaileshwari Campaign, huge protesters caused
damage of approximately 15 lakh rupees' properties to EDC- Nepal. However, the
organization considers this a significant achievement that shaileshwori temple
entrance. This success ensured that the Dalit community in Doti District, which
had been facing social discrimination, untouchability, and discriminatory
treatment for years, no longer experiences discrimination in entering
Shaileshwari Temple and other public spaces.
Similarly,
this organization has been collaborating with various donor agencies to
implement different programs and projects in local units of Doti District, with
the aim of protecting the human rights, promoting economic empowerment,
developing leadership, ensuring quality education for children, school
governance, and increasing access to resources for Dalit women working in the
informal sector, poor and marginalized women, Haliya women, children, and
marginalized communities.
Currently, it has raising the issues of women's workload, women's unpaid care work, vital registration of women labour and insurance, gender violence, cases against caste untouchability, women's reproductive health rights, youth rehabilitation issues, children's right to quality education, health and sanitation and climate change.