Asia

Bhola Bosti is a grassroots people’s organization in Bangladesh. Out of its partnership with other Huairou Commission (HC) member PDAP, the group joined the commission in 2012 because of HC’s position as a network of grassroots women. Collaborating with the network, Bhola Bosti has given voluntary services for the Housing policy workshop, slum protection, and the Urban Thinkers Campus through PDAP.

The organization engages with its 1,000 members on issues related to land and housing and education. To foster leadership within its members, Bhola Bosti uses the HC Diamond Methodology and hosts peer exchanges with other grassroots women groups such as DSK, PDAP, and World Vision. 

Bostibasir Odhikar Surakkha Committee (BOSC) is a grassroots people’s organizations in Bangladesh. BOSC has 8,625 consolidated members and 10 affiliated organizations in urban and peri-urban areas of the country working on land and housing,  governance, and education. The organization works with women’s groups, grassroots groups, children and youth, as well as religious and ethnic groups.

The main focus for BOSC in terms of policy and advocacy is housing and urban policy development. The organization provides learning opportunities for the community and grassroots women. BOSC also advocates for increased inclusion and participation of women in decision-making and policymaking in Bangladesh.

In 2012, BOSC became a member of Huairou Commission to be a part of the international grassroots network, work for grassroots women empowerment on a global scale, and to support peer organizations in their aspirations.

Life Centre, or Centre for Promotion of Quality of Life, is a non-governmental organization that works out of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Consisting of around 22 consolidated members, Life Centre works within rural and urban areas to foster resilience and to address issues of HIV/AIDS.

Primarily using Participatory Action-Orientated Training methodology and peer learnings at local and district levels, the organization motivates and encourages grassroots women to take actions that strengthen their disaster risk and climate change resilience. The policy goals of Life Centre are to raise awareness of the importance of health care, increase access to health insurance, and to use knowledge and resources to protect the health and wellbeing of women, children, and families. 

Life Centre joined Huairou Commission in 2014 because they share the same goal of empowering grassroots women to take leading roles in community development.

CO-Multiversity is an NGO in the Philippines. COM works with 4,866 consolidated members and 32 affiliated organizations in Sultan Kudarat, ARMM, and the National Capital Region on the issues of governance, land and housing, participatory governance, DRR, and resilience. 

One of the main focuses for COM is women’s capacity building. COM gives grassroots formal training on leadership development through theoretical discussion and practical examples. The organization facilitates reflection sessions with leaders and members, and conducts follow up dialogical process to help women raise their level of consciousness as individuals and as organizations promoting a higher level of independence. Additionally, COM is engaged in advocacy projects on land and housing rights, affordable and inclusive housing, as well as the proclamation of government land of socialized housing.

In 2007 COM became a member of Huairou Commission to share grassroots women’s experiences from the Asia region with the other global grassroots organizations and political actors. Moreover, COM is interested in learning from peer organizations and widening the horizons of their work.

CUP is a networking advocacy organization based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It joined Huairou Commission (HC) in 2012 because of CUP’s collaborative partnership with HC member PDAP and the Commission’s right based-activities, specifically those for grassroots women empowerment of the urban poor. CUP has engaged in the global grassroots women movement by participating in the Urban Thinker Campus in Bangladesh. 

The organization consists of 64 members and works in the urban areas of all Bangladeshi cities. CUP’s work focuses on good governance, land and housing rights, resilience and emergency management, and the empowerment of urban poor. To foster leadership within its members, CUP utilizes the HC Diamond Methodology as well as participatory & democracy leadership methodology.

CWF is a non-governmental organization based in Tahachal, Nepal. Engaging with 34 cooperatives and 4 saving groups, CWF consists of 32,000 members and counting. The organization works within rural, urban, and peri-urban areas to address issues of community finance, women’s economic empowerment, disaster resilience, housing, water, sanitation, and hygiene. 

The organization focuses its advocacy efforts on the financial empowerment of women, leadership development, and access to decision making at the local level. At the global level, however, CWF has participated in the strategic planning of Huairou Commission (HC) and the Asian disaster resilience workshop. Wanting to connect with the global grassroots network, influence global policy and solidarity, learn and share practices, promote learning exchanges and contribute to women’s empowerment, CWF joined HC in 2010 and has since implemented various projects.

Damayan ng Maralitang Pilipinong Api (DAMPA) is a federation in the Philippines. DAMPA joined Huairou Commission in 2005 to have a bigger and stronger network that assists the grassroots women’s advocacy, campaigns, programs, leadership and recognition as stakeholders regarding policy making from local to national level.  

DAMPA works with 90,287 members and 237 local organizations in urban, rural and peri-urban areas in the Philippines on community resilience, land and housing, livelihood and governance. As recognized members of the City and Municipal Development Council of the Philippines, DAMPA accesses policy participation, program implementation at the national level, and pushes for local and national policies that can be beneficial to grassroots women. 

The major focus in DAMPA is on resilience building of grassroots communities, such as economic empowerment, leadership development, involvement and recognition of grassroots women in decision-making across local, national and global dimensions. DAMPA conducts training for its members to enhance capacity on leadership, policy advocacy, negotiations, and risk mapping. Organization’s partners include DRRNet Philippines, Alternative Budget Initiative, and AKBAYAN also give training to community leaders.

Grassroots Women Empowerment Center, Inc./Center of Grassroots Women Empowerment of Northville and Southville, Inc. (GWEC) is an NGO located in the Philippines. The organization has been working with Huairou Commission since the early 2000’s to engage in partnerships, collaborations, and peer exchanges. Over the years, GWEC has gained global influence by participating in the World Urban Forum in Barcelona and Canada, Peer Exchanges in Cambodia, and the Global Land Tool Network Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.

Operating within urban and peri-urban areas within the National Capital Region of the country, GWEC collaborates with 89 Homeowners’ Association, or old relocation sites, and 31 new relocation sites. The group focuses on issues related to governance and land and housing and similarly purses policy and advocacy work within these themes while concentrating on gender mainstreaming in local governance and the right to adequate housing.

GROOTS Papua New Guinea (PNG) is an organization based in the Asian country of Papua New Guinea that focuses on women empowerment. The group works with 10,000 women on the areas of governance, HIV/AIDS, land and housing, and resilience. GROOTS PNG uses awareness, trainings, meetings, and workshops to foster leadership among their women members.

The organization joined Huairou Commission in 1995 because of its role in empowering grassroots women, cultivating motivation, and promoting their rights to speak as women. GROOTS PNG regularly engages with two of its main partners, the Department of Community Development and the provincial government, in their work.

HIMAWANTI is a grassroots organization based in Nepal. The Association works with 1025 rural women members on the issues of resilience and governance. In these areas of work, HIMAWANTI focuses on women’s empowerment, inclusion of women in decision-making and increasing participation in policy creation processes. Together with the main partner, LUMANTI, the Association regularly hosts peer learning sessions for the grassroots women on the resilience and resilience. 

HIMAWANTI has been a member of Huairou Commission (HC) for more than 10 years. The organization joined the global grassroots movement and became a strong supporter of the women’s empowerment and capacity building.

Jagori has been a partner of Huairou Commission (HC) since 2009. The organization is based in India. Together with HC, Jagori promotes gender equality, grassroots movement and global safer cities movement. 

Jogori engages 200 affiliated organizations in urban, rural and peri-urban areas in issues of governance, violence against women, and leadership development. Through workshops and skills development exercises, the organization facilitates gender empowerment and capacity building. Jogori also has rural and urban women’s leadership camps that enable women to access services and support legal reform and advocacy with the state.The organization conducts peer exchange sessions and networking events with two main partners: Pradan, Domestic workers network- Rajasthan.

KPS Foundation, whose name literally translates to Truth, Unity & Services Foundation, is an NGO that engages around 5,000 families in different municipalities within the southern region of the Philippines. KPS’s work focuses on governance, land & housing, GAD, poverty alleviation, DRRM-CCA, Environmental Protection, and Early Childhood Care and Development. 

Regularly engaging with Lihok Pilipina and PHILSSA, the organization hosts peer learning sessions and creates inclusive change through harmony organizing. The principal advocacy priorities of KPS are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the New Urban Agenda. Consequently, the organization participated in localizing SDGs globally. 

KPS joined Huairou Commission in 2008 because of its Anti-VAWC advocacy through the Bantay Banay Program and Lihok Pilipina. 

Lihok is a facilitating NGO based in the Philippines. Lihok works with 70 consolidated members and 61 affiliated organizations in rural, urban, and peri-urban areas such as Visayas, Luzon, and Mindanao on the issues of governance, advocacy on gender responsive policies, program and budget allocation, resilience to disaster, food security, safety issues, health and gender-based violence. 

The main focus of work for Lihok is gender-related issues, such as violence against women and girls, mainstreaming gender-based programs for marginalized groups, increasing women’s participation in political life of local communities, as well as localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and New Urban Agenda (NUA), food security and health safety. 

Regarding women’s empowerment, Lihok conducts leadership building and skills workshops on women’s rights, community organizing process, and community management for women and women groups. Together with the main partners – Bantay Banay, local authorities and NZE/UUSC (donors) – Lihok coordinates the work of the communities, networks and women groups, and facilitates the progress of work.  

Lihok joined Huairou Commission (HC) in 1995 to support grassroots women, good governance projects and women’s empowerment at the international level.

Lumanti Support Group for Shelter (LSGS)  is a facilitating NGO in Nepal. LSGS became a member of Huairou Commission (HC) to connect with global grassroots women’s networks, influence global policy, build solidarity,  learn and share best practices, promote learning exchange, and contribute to the empowerment of women.  

LSGS engages 18 member organizations in the urban, rural and peri-urban areas in disaster resilience, housing, water and sanitation, hygiene, socio-economic transformation, community finance and good governance. LSGS promotes grassroots women’s leadership through community organizations such as saving and credit cooperatives, local authorities and other groups in the areas of housing and development.

LSGS provides financial and technical assistance for governance, capacity enhancement, institutionalization and leadership skills. The organization conducts skills trainings, workshops and peer exchange sessions, Local-to-Local Dialogues, and networking events to connect grassroots leaders. LSGS encourages grassroots women to raise funds by themselves, and to actively participate in local politics and elections.

NDBUS is a community-based organization (CBO) in the densely-packed Mirpur slum area of Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. The group engages with 22 women on issues related to land and housing and resilience. NCBUS regularly hosts peer learning sessions with slum-based leaders in Dhaka and applies leadership methodology by using the stages of “Define, Develop and Deliver” when identifying problems within the grassroots community. In its policy work, the organization mainly focuses on preventing continuous slum evictions and developing nutrition and health for the slum women and children.

NDBUS joined Huairou Commission in 2018 to strengthen the national network through working with international networks of CBOs to reach the goal of NDBUS and its beneficiaries grassroots women.

NMES is a women’s network of slum and squatter located in Nepal. NMES engages 57,000 consolidated members in slum and squatter communities of rural, urban, and peri-urban areas on the issues of land and housing. 

The main areas of work for NMES are national constitutions, land and right policies, land use, women’s rights, and urban development policies. Regarding women’s empowerment, the organization conducts training and workshops for local communities and women groups on relevant issues, such as women rights and gender equality in the area of land rights and housing. 

NMES joined Huairou Commission (HC) in 2007 to build leadership and empowerment of slum and grassroots women leadership, lobby, and advocate for women rights together with HC at the international level.

Participatory Development Action Program (PDAP) is a facilitating NGO in Bangladesh. PDAP works with 500 members and 10 grassroots organizations on the issues of resilience, land and housing, governance, as well as women’s empowerment in urban and peri-urban areas. 

The main policy and advocacy priority for the organization is women’s empowerment. Through community resilience projects, women leaders are empowered to change their community setting, and trained leaders are able to contact local government representatives to solve basic needs. Moreover, PDAP facilitates relationships between local government and grassroots women’s organizations through mutual workshops, experience exchanges, seminars, and rallies. 

Having heard that Huairou Commission (HC) works with poor, disadvantaged women and grassroots women, PDAP became a member in 2005. Since then, PDAP has conducted a wide range of programs together with HC on sustainable and inclusive development of communities and cities across Bangladesh. 

Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies, PHILSSA, is an NGO network located in the Philippines. PHILSSA counts 59 member- NGOs and more than 2,000 partner community groups nation-wide. The group primarily works in urban areas, but also performs work in rural and peri-urban communities. PHILSSA’s work mainly concentrates on the issues of governance, Health/WASH, Land & Housing, Resilience, Sustainable Livelihoods, and Youth & Children.

The organization also holds the position of Secretariat of a National Coalition of Community Organizations called AKKMA (Aksyon sa Kahandaan sa Kalamidad at Klima). PHILSSA also regularly works with its partner, Caucus of Development NGO Networks.

The group joined Huairou Commission in 2007 for solidarity and advocacy work on common issues and concerns of grassroots communities and women groups.

SSP is a facilitating NGO in India. The organization works with 17 affiliated NGOs in rural and peri-urban areas on community resilience, sustainable agriculture, community health, sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurship.

SSP conducts grassroots leadership development programs as a priority in their work. The organization trains rural women to become leaders and change-makers of sustainable development. SSP mentors and nurtures women’s leadership in various sectors such as agriculture, livelihoods, clean energy, health, water and sanitation.

SSP has started Women Enterprise & Leadership Institute (WELI) in Maharashtra. Its main objectives are to build the entrepreneurial and leadership capacity of women who could incubate grassroots innovations in agriculture, health, and water and sanitation  among other areas and to collaborate with key stakeholders–from thelocal to the global–to support grassroots women as successful entrepreneurs and development agents. 

Having joined Huairou Commission (HC) in 1996, SPP started working with grassroots communities in disaster situations. The strategy is focused on women’s leadership in building resilient communities and assisting grassroots women throughout their pathway of managing post-disaster processes.

ULAP Confederation is a regional grassroots federation based in the Philippines. The organization joined Huairou Commission in 2007 to share experiences and learn from others regarding women’s empowerment and advocacy. The organization works with 23,220 families and 32 local grassroots organizations in the areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) and Rizal. The key areas of focus for the organization are governance, land and housing, participatory governance, resilience, and community development. 

ULAP has several advocacy priorities: (1) Advocacy for Land and Housing Right: Incity resettlement via proclamations, affordability in shelter, access to livelihood, and basic services, (2) Advocacy for policy reform on housing-related laws (UDHA Amendment and In-city resettlement), (3) Implementation of national and local policies including budget transparency in Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Management, (4) Women Empowerment and Gender Equality.

Urban Poor Women Development (UPWD) is a grassroots organization based in Cambodia. The organization joined Huairou Commission in 2009 to strengthen community advocacy and mobilize capacity, empower communities and claim more development ownership and support from local governments. The organization works with more than 5000 families and 35 communities in urban areas of the country. The main thematic areas of work for the organization are land and housing, community development and resilience. UPWD advocates for grassroots women’s and community capacity development,leadership training, land rights, health and fight against gender based violence.

Yakkum is a facilitating NGO in Indonesia, accounting for 30 members, 57 affiliated grassroots organizations and 250 community based organizations in urban, rural and peri-urban areas. Yakkum is also a member of ACT Alliance, ADRRN, Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), Humanitarian Forum Indonesia (HFI), and GNDR. Thematic areas for the organization are resilience, sustainable and inclusive development, emergency capacity building, and leadership.

Yakkum’s policy priorities are in the area of community resilience, monitoring the progress of implementation of global frameworks such as New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, and inclusive development. These policy priorities are brought to life through local-to-local dialogues, consulting meetings with national governments and the main partners of Yakkum, such as the National Agency for Disaster Management, and the Local DRR Platform.

Regarding the women’s capacity building initiatives, Yakkum provides relevant training and mentoring to grassroots women, engages grassroots leaders in policy making, facilitates peer learning, and creates space for campaign.