Empowering women involves more than just improving their economic status

Despite the fact that the Constitution does not differentiate between men and women, women in Nepal face difficulty accessing education or a political voice, with females almost twice as likely to be illiterate than their male counterparts. Entrenched social norms ensure that women are not considered equal to men. Key among the challenges the women face includes poverty, unemployment and social discrimination. Despite the obstacles Nepalese women face, there are local and international organizations working for women’s empowerment.

One such organization working towards the economic empowerment of women is the Business Service Centre (BSC) works to reinforce women’s self esteem to become entrepreneurs by promoting conscious choices and overcoming barriers within the family and the community. The local organization FBPWN (Federation of Business and Professional Women, Nepal) is implementing the project BSC with the technical assistance of AIDOS (Italian Association of Women in Development)

The Challenges

According to Gabriella Cocco Greaves, Country Representative of Italian Association for Women in Development (AIDOS) in addition to social challenges like gender based violence, most families do not support women getting into business, women suffer low self esteem and a lack of confidence which makes women’s conditions severe. Consequently one of BSC key goals is to build the women’s confidence to get into business. BSC also tries to aims to build on the women’s existing skills.

“If there is a skill and the market is saturated they discourage the women from doing the same old product and find alternatives that are more marketable,” Gabriella explains.

Gabreilla also feels that empowering women involves more than just improving their economic status...

Meet some of the women who are benefiting from this project http://yaotieno.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/working-towards-uplifting-women...