The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative

After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. 

Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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Integrating gender lens into disaster legislation: The case of Nepal

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Author: Ranjani.K.Murthy, May 4 - The Natural Calamity Relief Act 2039 B.S (of 1982) is the legal instrument in Nepal which provides a framework for relief and rescue efforts to be carried out in the event of a disaster. This Act was modified in 1989 and 1992. The amendments pertain to strengthening institutional mechanism. There is no reference to gender issues within the legislation, perhaps because, in 1982, the issue was still new. As such, the Act does not cover early warning and disaster risk reduction. 

With the massive earthquake of 2015 leaving over 6000 people dead, it is time to look at the avenues that are open for integration of a gender perspective in the 1982 legislation through another amendment, perhaps a year down the line. 

 

  •     Are women in decision making? The Act proposes constitution of a Central Committee. The Central Committee, as of now, does not include any representatives of Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, as appropriate to that level. Women’s Advocacy Organizations are not part of the committee, while two non-gender-specific relief NGOs [non-governmental organisations] are. Two sub-committees are mentioned in the legislation - Relief and Treatment sub-committee and Supplies, Shelter and Rehabilitation sub-committee. Women’s Ministry and women’s advocacy groups are again missing in these sub-committees. 
  •     Are women engaged in implementation? On the Regional Committee, District Committees and Local Committees to oversee implementation and report to the Central Committee, there is no reference to the presence of women officials from Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare
  •     Are gender concerns included in rescue?  The 1982 Act mentions evacuation of people to safe places, and rescuing those affected. However, there is no reference to having trained women rescue personnel, or giving priority to first evacuate pregnant, breast feeding, sick, elderly, women, disabled women/girls - with preference to women in remote areas and women from disadvantages groups/identities like single women, Dalits [a term usd to indicate a caste], Madhesis [an ethnic group in the region], transgender, etc.  
  •     Are gender concerns included in relief and recovery? Relief items mentioned in the 1982 legislation are money, foods, clothes, medicine, construction materials and others. While the category ‘others’ is ambiguous, it is unlikely to include separate and safe toilets, separate clothing for different sexes/ages, sanitary napkins/materials, delivery kits, contraception (the absence of which affects women more than men), condoms, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), etc. Neither does it mention that compensation should be given to women (if in cash) or on woman’s name (if land or housing). Protection of women and girls - including from trafficking - does not get the attention it deserves.


The Natural Calamity Relief Act 2039 B.S (1982 A.D) of Nepal needs to be urgently strengthened by an amendment that focuses on gender-intensified (e.g. contraception), gender-specific (e.g. women rescue team) and gender-transformative (e.g. compensation on woman’s name) issues in the context of disaster before, during and after disaster, at both institutional and intervention levels.


Source:
Law Commission, n.d, Natural Calamity (Relief) Act. 2039 B.S. (1982), Law Commission, Government of Nepal