Since 2013, The Global Women’s Project have worked with in partnership with the Women’s Foundation of Nepal to jointly develop and deliver vocational training, economic empowerment and women’s rights programs through our Rural Women’s Resource Hubs in the remote regions of Sunsari, Jhapa and Bhaktapur.

Their community consultations in Nepal found that many local women have:

• limited formal education and literacy skills,

• lack decision making power in their households,

• are subjected to frequent violence and discrimination in the home and in their communities,

• undertake the majority of household labour and chores,

• work extremely long hours in family farms and businesses for little or often no pay, and

• are generally unaware of their personal and legal rights.

They also commonly lack the knowledge, skills and resources they need to successfully engage in paid employment or other income generating activities.

Their hubs are designed to provide women with a safe place to come together to seek assistance, develop new skills and improve their autonomy, self-sufficiency and overall wellbeing. Members of our Hubs have access to life-changing opportunities and resources such as counselling and facilitated support groups, mediation and legal support services, rights awareness training and campaigns, vocational skills and small business training, and microfinance loans. Membership is free and also includes access to localised savings circles and an extensive support network of other women. Their Hubs are currently working directly with over 1800 women, with several thousand additional people in the communities surrounding.

The The presence of these Hubs in these regions has been shown improve the social structure of the community through greater education on gender equality and positive changes in women's lives and social connections. Furthermore, consistent studies have shown that when women are earning their own income, they invest up to 90% of it back into their children and families. For men it is around 30-40%. The effects of this reaches across generations to improve education, health and socio-economic outcomes for entire communities. Hubs program is designed to eliminate traditional barriers to women’s economic advancement and to engage local men in discussions and actions relating to the attainment of increased gender equality within the home and local community. It is also designed to provide women with greater earning potential and access to resources that increase local economic growth and consequently alleviate poverty.