USAID/Nepal, through its Women’s Leadership Academy program, organized a three-day budgetary process workshop from June 11 to 13 to help increase the knowledge and expertise of women Constituent Assembly (CA) members as they start the budget consideration process in early July. Women CA members also considered issues such as whether Nepal’s budget process should be changed to ensure a more transparent and accessible system under the new republic.

At the workshop, international expert David Pelchefsky discussed budgeting, comparative budgets and assist in analyzing and helping CA members prepare budgets. Through these trainings, USAID hopes to provide the tools CA members need to draft the constitution and participate fully in party and parliamentary proceedings.

Dr. Shankar Sharma, former vice chairman of the National Planning Commission, present at the workshop, said, “Such assistance with the budgetary process will help parliamentarians and the citizens become more involved in that process resulting in an open dialogue that is responsive to the public’s needs and desires.”

Through the Women's Leadership Academy, USAID strives to help women leaders participate in governance by building and strengthening their political knowledge and skills, particularly in the constitution drafting process, public speaking, advocacy, and policy development. To date, over 170 women including 102 CA members, have participated.