A Study on the Energizing Social Mobilization of Women Through Aama Samuha:Mothers’ Group: A Case Study of Jante Vdc, Morang District, Nepal

Abstract

Mothers’ Group (MG), initiated by Gurung women as a self-help organization in the past,has become a popular women organization all over the country for women development.Mothers’ Groups are recognized as a non-political group which has played a significantrole for the empowerment and mobilization of women at grassroots. The study has madean effort to assess the role of such groups for social mobilization of women for theirempowerment and mobilization. The study includes three MGs of Jante VDC of Morangdistrict. The data were collected from the executive members of the MGs, and other 15males and 20 females of the community. The study shows that MGs have prioritized thesocial awareness raising of local mothers on child care, primary health care, nutrition,sanitation and cleaning-up programs, and family planning. All MGs were led by FemaleCommunity Health Volunteers (FCHVs). The MGs have focused on collecting utensils, cleaning trails, financial support to Schooletc. instead of sorting out the ways to empower themselves to enhance their capability.Induced MGs were facing various problems because of lack of creative and innovativeprograms, confinement within health-related matters only, and incompatibility to laterintroduced women organizations with reference to socio-economic uplift of the members. Further, low level of education, lack of organizational skills, management skills, creativethought on mothers, proper guidance from the social leaders, support from otherorganizations, group consensusamong members and limited sources of fund as well asinternal disputes among MG members etc. have been found as the main challenges ofMGs. The study on roles of MGs in women’s empowerment and mobilization in grassrootsneeds further study with wider coverage of sample size with reference to larger number ofinformants and MGs from different areas of Nepal to find out the actual role of it.Comparative research on various methods of social mobilization would also contribute tofurther undersJanteng the contribution of social mobilization to social inclusion in Nepal.