Hetauda | 2 December 2025

Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City successfully organized a one-day orientation and testing workshop on the “Municipal Level Gender Responsive and Climate Resilient Urban Planning Guideline” on 2 December 2025, under the EU-funded Cities 4 Women: Inclusive and Climate Resilient Urbanization in Nepal project. The workshop was facilitated by UN-Habitat in collaboration with the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), UNOPS, and Cities Alliance. It aimed to orient municipal stakeholders on the newly developed guideline, test its practical applicability at the local level, and strengthen local ownership for effective implementation.

The event brought together 48 participants, including 20 women, comprising the Mayor, Chief Administrative Officer, ward chairpersons, and section heads from various municipal units. The program commenced with a welcome address by Ms. Pragya Pradhan, Habitat Programme Manager at UN-Habitat, who emphasized the importance of the guideline in enabling local governments to systematically integrate gender equality, social inclusion, and climate resilience into municipal urban planning processes. 

The team of Experts presented the guideline’s key features, structure, and implementation steps, placing particular emphasis on mandatory Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) provisions, including social audits, citizen feedback mechanisms, and accountability tools. Participants actively engaged in the sessions, offering practical inputs and suggestions to further strengthen and contextualize the guideline for effective municipal application.