Oxfam Nepal has announced Women's Empowerment: A national startup project to increase women's economic and political leadership for climate-adapted communities.

'Empowering Her' is a three-year public-private partnership project of COICA International Corporation Agency (COICA). The project will be implemented in cooperation and partnership between Oxfam Nepal, Needs Nepal and RDAC Nepal.

The project will be implemented in Vrindavan and Rajadevi Municipalities of Rautahat and Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur. A budget of 2 million US dollars has been allocated for this.

The project, entitled Building Economic Upliftment in Seasonal Migrant Families, will promote women leadership and support green businesses/enterprises run by women entrepreneurs in Rautahat District of Madhesh Province and Kanchanpur District of Sudurpaschim Province.

Country Director of Oxfam Nepal Tripti Rai said that Oxfam is an organization working to end global inequality. "Oxfam Nepal's programs are designed to integrate our five interrelated thematic areas - gender justice, climate justice and resilience, water governance, economic justice, and humanitarian response - with a focus on ending inequality and injustice," she said.

She said that this initiative will provide a unique opportunity to advance women's empowerment in two major regions of Nepal, Madhesh Province and Sudurpaschim Province. Soni Pradhan, Gender Justice Head of Oxfam Nepal, gave a presentation at the

event. She informed about the main achievements and successes implemented in Ward 9 of Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur as the first phase of 'Empowering Her'.

"This initiative will be implemented in all wards of Rajdevi and Vrindavan municipalities in Rautahat district of Madhesh province and in all wards of Bhimdatta municipality in Kanchanpur district of Sudurpaschim province," she said.

Pralabh Kayastha, Chief Administrative Officer of Rajdevi Municipality located in Rautahat, thanked the municipality for choosing it as a working area for the initiative. "It is necessary to work keeping in mind the complex social norms and diversity here," he said, "Rautahat district is one of the least developed districts in terms of literacy and health services." The patriarchal belief is deeply rooted in our society.

He said that there is a challenge to sustain the migrant youth in the country. Other stakeholders like the government and development organizations said that they should harmonize their work towards our common goal.

KOICA Country Director Kang Moo Hryon said the new project builds on our previous collaboration. "The districts we have selected are climate-based disaster prone areas, disaster-prone men migrate for work and double the burden on women," he said, "however, they are not involved in any kind of decision-making activities  . This project is a holistic approach to complete Koika's support in Nepal. The goal of the project is to empower women, he said.

Member Secretary of the Social Welfare Council Manoj Bhatt said that the project is an example of entrepreneurship aimed at helping the country achieve sustainable development goals in Nepal.

'It's only focused on financial sustainability  No, but seasonal migrant families are specifically targeted," he said. "I hope this project will help reduce seasonal migration in the targeted areas. This project will contribute to the 16th Periodic Plan and Sustainable Development Goals.