Vulnerable women’s groups in Nepal have income generation opportunities and are resilient to climate change and disasters that affect their livelihoods by 2022
The outcome will focus on gender responsive laws, plans and budgets, including statistics, to advance inclusive governance and access to justice in Nepal. The work under this outcome will: (a) increase capacity of key government officials to formulate and reform gender responsive laws (EVAW), plans (NAP on UNSCR 1325 and subsequent resolutions and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)), budgets and statistics in line with the Constitution and international standards, including CEDAW and UPR; (b) enhance governance capacity of key duty bearers to implement and monitor gender responsive laws, polices, budgets, provision of essential quality services, including on EVAW, to advance women’s human rights and promote inclusive governance and access to justice; and (c) strengthen leadership capacity, voice, and agency of excluded groups to demand accountability and transparency for inclusive governance and access to justice at the federal and local levels, advancing the implementation of SDG 5.
Vulnerable women’s groups in Nepal have income generation opportunities and are resilient to climate change and disasters that affect their livelihoods by 2022
Data reported for 2022 results against this indicator was obtained as part of a learning process on social norms and therefore may not accurately reflect the results obtained. Internal reviews of data collected on social norms across relevant indicators, coupled with external reviews, are informing the design of UN Women’s principled approach to social & gender norms change. This will be reflected in changes to the indicators to be introduced in the Mid-Term Review of the Strategic Plan.
Complementary indicators are identified as those in the results framework that are not repeated verbatim in the results framework of another United Nations entity, but are related or provide different but complementary lenses or insights into the same issue, high-level result and/or area of complementary work, such as a Sustainable Development Goal target.
ComplementaryPlanet 50:50 Nepal created by engaging men, interfaith leaders, vulnerable groups and youth networks by addressing adverse social and economic norms, structural barriers, and gender based discrimination
Data reported for 2022 results against this indicator was obtained as part of a learning process on social norms and therefore may not accurately reflect the results obtained. Internal reviews of data collected on social norms across relevant indicators, coupled with external reviews, are informing the design of UN Women’s principled approach to social & gender norms change. This will be reflected in changes to the indicators to be introduced in the Mid-Term Review of the Strategic Plan. In addition to results reported by UN Women field offices (shown here), results achieved in countries and territories through the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTF) are included in a non-duplicative manner in the global reporting on this indicator (see the Our Global Results page).
In addition to results reported by UN Women field offices (shown here), results achieved in countries and territories through the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTF) are included in a non-duplicative manner in the global reporting on this indicator (see the Our Global Results page).
Key line ministries and select local governments have increased technical capacity to develop and implement gender responsive macro-economic policies (fiscal and budgetary) and sectoral policies (agriculture, energy, labour, industry and DRR) to advance implementation of SDG 5 and 8
A substantive equality approach to women's economic empowerment tested and adopted in select target sectors [agriculture, energy] for income generation, improved climate resilient livelihoods to address safe migration with vulnerable women's groups
In addition to results reported by UN Women field offices (shown here), results achieved in countries and territories through the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTF) are included in a non-duplicative manner in the global reporting on this indicator (see the Our Global Results page).
Vulnerable women’s groups in Nepal have income generation opportunities and are resilient to climate change and disasters that affect their livelihoods by 2022
There has been notable progress on this outcome. Vulnerable women’s groups who received economic empowerment support from UN Women have recovered their businesses and demonstrated resilience to thrive back in the post pandemic context. Income Generation: This year, 300 additional women from excluded groups, composed of 255 women engaged in sex work (WESW) and 45 women from Community Kitchen initiative, started and/or expanded their micro-scale business. Based on the lesson learned from COVID-19, WESW diversified their livelihood opportunities by joining the vocational skills trainings, so that it would be easier to pursue new livelihoods in the event of another crisis or decreased profitability of their current business. Among them, 183 started their business after attending the vocational skill training provided by UN Women through its partner, Community Action Centre (CAC) Nepal . Their daily income ranges from NPR 600-2,000 (USD 4.62-15.4). Also, the 72 WESW who received carts from CAC Nepal are now engaged in vending street food, clothes, vegetables and spicy snacks in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts of Bagmati Province. They earn NPR 500-2,000 (USD 3.85 -15.4) per day from their business. One of them passed the licensure driving test and is now attending orientations to work with Pathao, an online platform for food delivery and cab services. A traditionally male occupation, her engagement in this job is envisioned to help break perceptual barriers, including stigma, to women’s entry in traditionally male occupations. Similarly, 45 women from excluded groups supported under the community kitchen initiative improved their income generation capacities. Evidence collected from the field in November 2022 showed that participants of the ‘Women in Value Chains’, which ended in December 2021, continue to produce market-oriented products and earn income in agriculture, food, small scale garment and handicraft value chains. For example, Rita Karmacharya, a project participant from Kavre, is currently selling her products (shoes) in the national market and exporting to Australia. She has moved moved up in the value/supply chain. Bimala Deula and Manila K.C, from Kavre are producing vegetable pickles and earning around NPR 30,000 (USD 231) per month, transforming them from being vegetable producers into processors. Access to productive resources: In 2022, 17 women’s groups (2 groups from Community Kitchen initiative and 15 groups part of the Community safety nets) enhanced their access to productive resources to expand and leverage their economic competency. A post-project follow-up in December 2022 revealed that women’s groups from Milanpur of Kailali district had started a third round of poultry raising through the previous support from the project. They reported an average earning of NPR 50,000 (USD 385) from the first round, which were reinvested in the subsequent rounds. Most of them used their earnings to meet health, education and food needs of their households. Others saved their income for further reinvestment. UN Women provided them with in- kind support, including chicks, sheds, poultry feed, and medicines. Similarly, the women’s group in Kathmandu, engaged in vegetable farming and received support from UN Women to build fertilizer storage accessed a loan of NPR 150,000 (USD 1,154) to expand their storage capacity for off-seasonal vegetable storing. They are paying the interest on a monthly basis with their saving of NPR 100 each. The group was also able to secure a room in a local ward office and has advocated for a share in the local budget. Further, 15 CSNs (out of 21) have saved around NPR 50,000-65,000 (USD 383-498) through contributions of group member s. The total membership is 1620 (31 with disability) which includes 1404 female, 206 male and 10 LGBTIQ+. The saving is being used to support elderly people in old age homes, survivors of violence, and chronically ill people in their communities. Participants from the Storytelling initiative shared that the in-kind support provided as part of the comprehensive relief package, enabled them to make savings, as they did not have to procure essential items for their households, including food. Access to legal identity and social assistance: Further, 64 women and excluded groups were able to secure social assistance from local governments. This was a result of their ability to secure a legal identity as citizens, and disability and senior citizenship cards through the facilitation support of UN Women’s partner agencies, KOSHISH Nepal and CAC. They were provided with briefing, guidance in preparing application forms, and accompaniment support in approaching pertinent government offices. Access to banking services: Out of a total of 500 WESW, 470 were able to secure access to banking services. This was facilitated through technical and coordination support to fill up the form, open a bank account and access information on banking services. There has been a demonstration of behavioral changes among CSN members, translating their enhanced understanding of gender inequalities into transformative action. For example, CSN member, Ms. Devi Paswan, got her son married in Bara district without any exchange of dowry, a practice regarded as mandatory in many places. The CSN project was implemented in all provinces by Tewa with funding support of UN Women. Increased support from family and community members have been generated in the project locations where they helped facilitate positive norm change around mobility, household chores, and women’s leadership in socio-economic activities. A male CSN member in Jajarkot district stated that, “I am now aware of women’s human rights and gender-based discrimination. I will support my women family members in household chores and ensure that they enjoy equal rights .” UN Women provided technical and substantive inputs to design and implement livelihood models on women’s economic empowerment (WEE). This includes sharing of lessons learned from past interventions and coordination support with local government/relevant stakeholders, building on UN Women’s substantive equality approach to WEE. UN Women’s meaningful approach is widely recognized. For example, Kandala Rana, Deputy Mayor of Dhangadi Sub-Metropolitan City appreciated its support to most vulnerable women in Milanpur, Kailali District. She said, ‘The women who were former free-bonded laborers and residing in one of the disaster-prone areas are now able to earn their livelihood. I hope they would be able to reinvest their earning in the longer term”. UN Women’s theory of change for WEE in Nepal remains valid. The impacts described above show that vulnerable women now demonstrate economic strength and resilience. They are expanding income opportunities to enjoy economic security and rights (including legal identity as citizens and entrepreneurs), moving up in the value chains, securing resources from local governments, increasing their decision-making roles in families and communities, promoting behaviour change, and exploring opportunities for integration in the formal economy. As they earn adequate and predictable income, their identity as entrepreneurs helps raise their confidence and self-worth and build their ability to re-shape gender relations, advance transformative change in families and communities, and set a model of what vulnerable women can become when provided with appropriate support as a group. UN Women learned that in the post-pandemic recovery efforts, comprehensive relief package, collectivisation, sustained interventions for norm change, livelihood diversification to adapt in the changed market landscape and in non-traditional sectors, coordination with the local government for project ownership and access to resources, timely monitoring and technical guidance are powerful in achieving economic resilience among the most vulnerable women.Disclaimer and notes
References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).