THE CHALLENGE

Years of internal conflict have had devastating effects on the population of Nepal. More than 10 years after the end of the civil war, 15% of the population is still trapped in extreme poverty and struggling to survive on less than $2.15 a day. In 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake inflicted a new wave of catastrophe upon the impoverished country. Thousands were killed and countless homes and public buildings were damaged or destroyed, undermining Nepal’s development efforts.

Life in Nepal is particularly harsh for poor women and girls, especially in remote rural areas and in the mountains. Gender inequalities remain stark, and violence against girls and women is widespread. Whereas the birth of a boy is celebrated, girls are often considered by their families to be liabilities. In rural areas, early child marriage is common for young girls because parents want to be rid of the burden of caring for their daughters and are often unaware of the dangers of early marriage. Many poor girls and women struggle to gain access to education,  63% of women are literate compared to 81% of males, and the job market. They face insecurity and vulnerability, remaining trapped in poverty and deprived of any opportunities to fulfil their potential.

Meanwhile, the nascent ICT (information & communication technologies) industry in Nepal is growing, offering the country a great deal of potential and a growing source of employment.

IT skills can boost young women’s employability, enabling them to obtain safe, decent work in the burgeoning sector. Access to ICTs can accelerate girls’ and women’s empowerment, giving girls and women access to vital resources, information, and networks.

The good news is that women are slowly becoming an important part of Nepal’s ICT sector, forming groups and organizations to support one another and to raise awareness about the need for more women in the ICT sector. However, for countless girls and young women from poor communities, access to ICTs and IT education remains beyond their financial means and reach. 

The SOLUTIONS WE'RE PROPOSING

Together with our field partner RUWON, W4 is working to give young, underprivileged women (women from poor communities) in the Kathmandu area the opportunity to receive quality IT training to increase their employability and facilitate their access to the formal job market.

The program is supporting young women whose families were affected by the 2015 earthquakes. It offers a year-long IT training course, enabling the young women to acquire valuable IT skills that will boost their employability and equip them to access safe jobs.

The program also provides the young women with soft-skills training, boosting their self-confidence, familiarizing them with the employment sector, and giving them job placement support. The goal is to help the young women obtain secure employment and become financially independent.

Financial autonomy is essential in order for young Nepalese women from poor communities to improve their socioeconomic status. It also helps to change mindsets and increase awareness of the value of girls and the importance of investing in girls’ and women’s education.

THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIVING

You can give young Nepalese women from poor families the opportunity to participate in a quality, year-long IT training program. For these young women, this is a truly life-transforming opportunity! It enables the young women to acquire valuable IT knowledge and skills that boost their employability and their chances of obtaining safe, decent employment in the formal sector. Your donation thus helps a woman to obtain secure employment and to lift herself out of poverty. You help launch a virtuous cycle in the life of the young woman, her family, and the entire community! 

Poverty statistic: Asian Development Bank