Women’s empowerment and gender issues are global issues, affecting countries across the world in a variety of ways. Unlike in more economically developed countries, women in Nepal have a vastly different roles and opportunities in society compared to continents like Europe and North America. For example, the majority of people in Nepal who cannot read or write are women, they have a much lower life expectancy than men and the majority of women rely on men who their basic needs of housing, food and economic stability.
What is the situation for women in Nepal?
- 239 women out of every 10,000 die due to child birth.
- Employment rate of Nepalese women stands at 80%, far lower than for men.
- Nepalese women in rural areas are more vulnerable than those in urban or semi-urban areas, who typically lack better economic, health, education and empowerment opportunities.
- Nearly 85% of Nepalese women in employment work in the agricultural sector.
- Almost half of Nepalese women are married before they are 18 years old.
- The general rates of immunization and standards of health and nutrition for Nepalese women remain very poor, particularly in rural areas.
Major issues in women’s health in Nepal:
- Shorter life expectancy and high maternal mortality rate.
- Higher infant and child mortality rates and neglect of girls’ health.
- Mental Health issues for women are taboo.
- A lack of adequate health care services and access to contraception.
- Cultural and societal expectations and prejudices towards women’s bodies, virginity and sexual activity and menstruation.
Why choose the Women’s Empowerment Program?
The empowerment of women is vital for increasing the prosperity and standard of living in local communities, regions and Nepal as a whole. The Women’s Empowerment Program builds upon the initiatives and work of the Nepalese government and NGOs at a local level, addressing the problems and meeting the needs of communities.
The major goal is to empower women socially and economically through education, life skills and income generation initiatives. VIN provides education and training opportunities to women of various age groups through the teaching of English and developing life skills, supporting the women and girls most in need in Nepal.
How does VIN achieve the goal of Women’s Empowerment?
The following are examples of ongoing successful projects designed to achieve the goal of Women’s Empowerment:
Education, Rights and Life skills: Thousands of women have participated in a range of classes already, which include both life skills such as self-awareness, coping with stress, coping with emotions and professional skills, such as mathematics and working with computers. We also run health related classes and training, covering fertility and sexual health, breast cancer awareness and basic sanitation. Our Business and Community Learning Centers allow these skills to be practiced and developed.
Microcredit/Microfinance through Cooperatives: Microcredit programs allow women to be in a better position to take control of their finances, in turn increasing family recognition and social status. In Jitpurphedi and Okhaldhnga, hundreds of women receive loans and thousands of social events have been organised to spread awareness about the importance of being financially self-dependent. Through our business center, we able to train women in different skills of microcredit and finance.
Entrepreneurship, Income Generation and Vocational Training
Informal employment is the biggest problem affecting productivity rates of farmers, especially for female farmers. Through the introduction of innovative mechanisms in agriculture, VIN is able to improve the livelihood of millions of female farmers throughout the country. VIN has already provided multiple income-generating skill trainings, such as seasonal and off seasonal vegetable farming, to hundreds of farmers. In addition, courses like entrepreneurship development and cheese making have been provided for hundreds of beneficiaries, whilst many women have also been involved in projects such as mushroom farming and goat keeping. Our holistic Women’s Empowerment Program has proven to be successful in addressing the overall feature of underprivileged women.
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