Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women
Nepal
The low status of women in Nepal can be traced to economic, legal, sociocultural and political/ institutional factors, which are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. Women's poverty is exacerbated by caste- and ethnicity-based discrimination, as the caste system defines access to resources and opportunities leaving women more disadvantaged than men at each level in the caste system.
Recognizing the strong need for reducing poverty through advancement of women's socioeconomic conditions, the goal of the Project is to reduce poverty in rural Nepal by empowering poor* rural women and members of other disadvantaged groups, such as ethnic and low-caste women. The objective is to improve the socioeconomic conditions of poor rural women through a process of economic, social, legal, and political empowerment by:
- strengthening their individual capabilities to improve their access to and control over assets
- building group support for individual and collective action to influence and hold institutions accountable, and
- reforming Government institutions and processes to become gender-responsive and include previously marginalized women into development opportunities.
The Summary Poverty Reduction and Social Strategy recognizes that Nepal is a multiethnic country with major issues related to social exclusion of Dalits (low castes) and ethnic groups. As such, awareness and sensitization campaigns and appropriate mechanisms to minimize discrimination and ensure equitable distribution of benefits have been designed into the Project. The Project will also ensure that decisions do not impact adversely on indigenous people and minorities.
Location:
The Project area covers 2 clusters comprising 15 core districts - 8 in the Midwestern and Far Western regions and 7 in the Central Region. (Map)
Learn more about the project:
* The term "poor" always includes ethnic and low-caste women.
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