Driving the Future | Transforming Lives Through Women’s Economic Empowerment

With the support from the Government of Finland, UN Women initiated the ‘Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment (AWEE) Programme: Ensuring Nepal’s Sustainable and Equitable Development’ in 2015. The programme was implemented in six districts: Sunsari, Kavre, Nawalparasi, Makwanpur, Banke and Kailali under the leadership of the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC), Government of Nepal, and in close collaboration with relevant government agencies, civil society organisations and private sector partners.

Taking forward the spirit of Agenda 2030, the programme reached out to women from excluded and marginalised groups: returnee women migrant workers, survivors of human trafficking, conflict-affected women, rural women, women living with HIV and AIDS and home-based workers. In addition to training women to support income generation and leadership, the AWEE Programme also engaged with stakeholders such as national and sub-national governments, the private sector, civil society and communities to address discriminatory social norms and harmful practices.

This coffee table book brings together stories which demonstrate that when women have economic opportunities, families and communities are supportive, and resources (financial, knowledge) are accessible; transformative change is possible. This book is divided into three chapters:

1. Economic Opportunities and Increased Income
2. Strengthening Visibility, Collective Voice and Representation
3. Advocacy and Communication for Change

Cutting across all these chapters is a common theme, that of addressing gender discriminatory social norms, harmful practices and gender stereotypes.