Lalitpur, September 25:

Women Development Training Centre (WDTC), the oldest training institute established to uplift the status of women, is on the verge of collapse due to fund crunch. It was established in 1956 with support from Ford Foundation with a view to enhancing women’s technical skills to encourage them to be active outside their homes. But after the promulgation of Local Development Training Academy Act, 1993, it has been mandated to carry out training, research and consulting services on child and women and gender sensitisation for local development. According to Indira Parajuli, acting principal of WDTC, despite having enough infrastructure and trained and efficient manpower, the centre is on the verge of closure because of the meagre budget allocation from the government.

“WDTC is neglected by the government. It gives programmes and funds just sufficient to run them,” she added. Lack of funds has forced the closure of regional offices of the centre long back. Dr Govinda Prasad Dhakal, executive director of Local Development Training Academy (LDTA), however, said, “The centre should come up with new ideas and approaches to give continuity to its activities and also compete with the ever increasing number of international

/national nongovernmental organisations.” Dr Dhakal said, “Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and Women Development Department is responsible for all the activities in

the women’s sector and this has further sidelined the institute and its activities.”

Dr Dhakal said, “With involvement of more INGOs and NGOs in providing skill development training to women, the donors started funding them and the WDTC was forced to subsist on limited government budget.” “We are trying to reach the market through customised training on women empowerment, gender mainstreaming, conflict transformation and planning,” centre’s principal Parajuli said. The government provided Rs 250,000 to the centre for this year and most of the money will be used to meet the general expenditure and salary of its

23 staffs, she informed, adding, the centre has a training centre and other buildings which it leases for generating money for maintenance works.