Sanjay Prasad Paudel
Janakpurdham, April 6: A joint annual monitoring visit of the project “She Leads: Life Skills and Livelihoods Support for Most Marginalized Girls in Nepal” was conducted here recently. The monitoring was carried out in the presence of the Mayor of Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City Manoj Kumar Sah, ward chairpersons and other stakeholders.
Implemented by Janaki Women Awareness Society (JWAS) with technical and financial support from Street Child, the project targeted 425 married young women and girls aged 15 to 25 in its first cohort, from marginalized Dalit communities.
During the monitoring process, the monitoring team visited different communities and interacted with beneficiaries. They directly observed various income-generating activities and small businesses initiated with the support of the project. Under the project, participants of the first cohort received 5 months of life skills training, two months of financial literacy classes, and business development support. Each participant also received financial assistance of up to Rs. 13,500 to start small businesses in their local communities.
Beneficiary women have utilized this support along with their own additional investment to run small enterprises such as tailoring, grocery shops, beauty parlors, cosmetic shops, and livestock farming (goats, cows, buffaloes, pigs, etc.). Mayor Sah appreciated the positive changes brought by the project in the community, highlighting its contribution to women’s economic empowerment, self-reliance, and social participation. He also expressed the municipality’s commitment to supporting and continuing such programs.
The project team also discussed challenges faced during implementation with the Mayor. These included difficulties in ensuring regular participation of young mothers and newly married women in life skills and financial literacy classes. Another challenge noted was that many participants from the same settlements were engaged in similar traditional businesses (such as tailoring and beauty parlors), which could lead to market saturation and reduced profitability. The Mayor suggested expanding participation beyond Dalit women to include other marginalised and economically disadvantaged women from Madhesh communities.
Observers believe that the She Leads project has played a significant role in improving the living standards of targeted women and enhancing their confidence, skills, and leadership capacity. Expanding such programs further could make a strong contribution to the sustainable economic and social empowerment of women.
