From where I stand: “If Nepali women are allowed the freedom to pursue what they need and what they want, they will be able to flourish in their lives and eventually uplift their communities.”

Date: Monday, September 9, 2019

Ishani Shrestha, 28, is a social activist and entrepreneur in Nepal. After she was crowned Miss World-Nepal 2013, she founded Project Smile to improve women’s health and children’s education and to end gender discrimination. As a feminist and a Nepali woman, I see the uncountable challenges girls and women face in our country. Some of the major challenges that I want to help ease are the lack of awareness of human rights, the lack of education and access to health care, and the social stereotypes that restrict women from becoming who they want to be.

From where I stand: “I saved a life”

Date: Monday, November 12, 2018

If all people start boycotting such weddings, it would definitely help eliminate child marriage. People are needed during a marriage ceremony: a priest to perform the religious rites, musical band to play the music, cook to prepare the food for the guests and guests to give their blessings to the newlyweds. I took a group of women with me and visited the parents of a 16-year-old girl whose marriage was fixed before she was of the legally...

Empowering girls identified as the key to ending Viet Nam’s child marriages

Date: Monday, July 10, 2017

Early marriage in Viet Nam violates children’s rights and stunts their physical, mental and psychological development, says a senior government official. Ha Hung, Vice Minister and Vice Chairman of the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA), made the comment at a 29 June national conference on Preventing and...