Women’s Empowerment in Nepal – Purna’s Story

“I had to experience every day that it is difficult for a woman to lead in my village.”

Purna lives in rural Nepal where she runs her own small business growing and selling vegetables. Her husband migrates for work, leaving Purna to care for her children and the household on her own. But Purna’s community believed that a woman’s place was at home and didn’t value women in business.

“In the past, my family’s financial situation was weak due to a lack of awareness for women outside the home,” she says.

Through ADRA’s GOAL II Project, which is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), Purna participated in initiatives to empower women. She participated in various capacity development and business training provided by the project.

“The business expansion training was very effective for me because I got the opportunity to learn commerce skills and how to start a business,” Purna says.

“Household expenses are managed by the income from my own business,” she says. “There is no need to depend on my husband to pay for my children’s education and the household expenses.”

Thanks to support from the project, she is now working as a women’s activist within her community to help other women just like her.

“In front of such narrow-minded people, I want to become an agent of change, to be an example for social change,” Purna says.

Not only is Purna showing the impact that can happen if women are allowed to operate outside the home, she is campaigning against gender-based violence.

“In addition to this, I have been advocating against various types of violence in the village.

“I am earning a better income than before. I consider this change in my social and economic life to be very important.”