To promote gender equality and justice in Nepal Pro Public worked rigorously with the many national and regional level interaction and capacity building program partnering with the national and regional organizations from 1996 to 2004. Pro Public organized numbers of training on Gender Equality and Justice to the hundreds of judges from different courts. It was made with the support from the then UNIFEM.
Pro Public in collaboration with Judges' Society Nepal organized a three-day interaction program on "Gender Equality and Justice" with the esteemed support of Mainstreaming Gender Equity Program, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that was taken place from November 9 to 11, 2000. The objectives of the program were to discuss the constraints impeding the realization of gender equality and justice and arrive at conclusions about how to address and overcome them. Moreover, the interaction targeted at imparting the judges new concepts and notions of equality jurisprudence and the obligations of the judiciary for the practical realization of equality and justice.
Total 25 judges representing the courts from within and outside Kathmandu valley had taken the part in the program. They included senior erudite judges of the Supreme Court and the Appellate Court, human rights leaders, jurists and activists.
Similarly, another interaction on "Gender and Justice" was organized jointly collaborating with Judges' Society, Nepal on April 18, 1998 in Kathmandu. The major objectives of this interaction program were to stress the role of judiciary in providing a more gender sensitive justice; to create a platform for the Nepalese judges to interact with judges from various social and legal backgrounds; and share their views on gender sensitization and the role of judiciary as a guardian of women's basic human rights. The participants included, besides Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and Justice Robert Campbell of the Federal Court of Canada, judges of the Supreme Court, Appellate and District Courts of Nepal, lawyers, journalists, and women's rights activists. The proceedings of the program has been published and distributed among the judges of the Supreme Court, 16 Appellate and 75 District Courts of Nepal, lawyers, journalists, and women's rights activists.
Pro Public worked on the regional program on gender and justice in association with Sakshi, India from 1997 to 2004, with the objective of providing access to justice to the victims of violence perpetuated by the gender insensitivity of the people in general and judicial community in particular. Pro Public serves on the board of Asia Pacific Advisory Forum on Judicial Education on Equality, which was established in 1997 with the objective of preparing a design and process of delivery for gender equality education program for judges in the Asia Pacific region.
As the continuation of the program the Gender Sensitization Program for the Law Enforcement Agencies (judges and public prosecutors) was implemented from 2004 to 2006 with the financial support of the South Asia Regional Initiative for Equality (SARI/Q), New Delhi. The overall objective of the project was to sensitize judges and public prosecutors at district trial courts.
The project carried out five Interaction Programs involving judges and public prosecutors, both within and outside the valley. Each program consisted of eight sessions, with two conducted by regional and six by national resource persons. Participatory methods like penal discussions, case studies, and mock sessions were employed, with pre and post-tests used for assessment. Justices of the Supreme Court participated as resource persons, enhancing their understanding of gender equality and justice issues.
Though the target was 150 participants, 146 were involved due to internal conflicts. Notably, two district registrars and four section officers participated, nominated by the Supreme Court due to their potential judicial roles. A key session involved a visit to Maiti Nepal, exposing participants to the realities of human trafficking and violence against women. Significant insights emerged from the Maiti Nepal visit, highlighting shortcomings in court proceedings regarding victim support and gender sensitivity. Participants pledged individual and official support to victims and contributed financially. Despite a missed site visit due to unfavorable weather, a film screening facilitated discussion on the trauma faced by trafficked individuals.
Furthermore, court observation served as a crucial assessment tool post-interaction programs, focusing on gender equality and justice within courtroom environments. Coordination with the women's cell of the Nepal Bar Association and district bar associations ensured comprehensive coverage across 21 districts.