Women Empowerment – New initiatives of Engage Nepal with Science – Blog Post

Did you know that we are kick starting a new initiative exclusively dedicated to visualise the needs and specificities of women and girls around Nepal? From Engage Nepal with Science we have set ourselves the objective of working to weave connections between women to create synergies and strengthen the skills and abilities that all women carry within, considering the many obstacles, both personal and professional, that women find every day just because of being women.

We understand women empowerment as a process through which women are enthused to increase their capacity to shape their own lives and environment, working on the basis of identity, self-esteem, personal and social autonomy, offering other examples of femininity and transforming the models of the system in which they have lived. For this reason, we plan to start the following four projects in which the female gender, with its needs and desires, is the focus.

AGORA

Agora (from Greek ἀγορά, assembly, from ἀγείρω, ‘to assemble’) is a term used in Ancient Greece to designate the square of the Greek city-states (polis), where the citizens used to congregate. This was the centre of the social, political and commercial life of the city and chosen by Socrates and others to philosophise.

We imagine Agora as a space dedicated to organising different workshops/events and where collectives of women get together in a relaxed and calm atmosphere to talk about topics related to femininity and work through dynamics and role-playing.

The aim of these workshops is to highlight how external factors, such as the media, influence and affect our self-esteem, individual and social life.  It is also a space to plan and organise activities that can then be shared with the rest of the community. The main objective is to bring together women with different situations, in person or virtually, to share experiences, generate an exchange of visions and encourage the assimilation of new possible values.

WE, THE GIRLS – Small Documentary.

This educational project plans to create a short documentary to expose the general situation of women, and especially young girls, throughout Nepal. This documentary includes interviews with professional women, personal stories and lifestyles, and is entirely designed and created by girls of different schools around the country.
The girls write the script, ask the questions, record and choose the topics to be dealt with, with the aim of getting to know new realities and being able to share them with other girls in the country. Once the documentary has been recorded and edited, it will be posted on our Youtube channel and social networks, and we will also seek collaboration to broadcast it through different national and international organisations and institutions.

ALCHEMY: Women in Science Project

This initiative aims to highlight the work and efforts of all women scientists or those related to science in Nepal, through different activities in the educational and community sphere, as well as in the institutional sphere itself.
On the other hand, it also aims to generate interest in science by using female scientists as role models to encourage girls to see research as a possible career path.

SUSTAINABLE NETWORK FOR ACTION: Girls & Women in Sustainable Agriculture

The objective of this project is to promote values and practices of sustainable agriculture among women in rural communities, with the aim of empowering them as agents of change and pioneers in the development of sustainable agriculture.

The effects of climate change on agricultural industries seriously affect the well-being of communities living in rural areas and may put in risk their potential to contribute to sustainable development. On the other hand, the 2019 report of the Secretary-General, “Improvement of the situation of women and girls in rural areas,” of the United Nations General Assembly, showcases the evidence of how climate change especially impacts rural agriculture; an industry which, by employing at least one third of all women globally, is the largest occupation of rural women besides household care and domestic work. For this reason, the corresponding need for rural women farmers to employ climate-resilient agricultural technologies for household food security becomes a very important challenge in some countries like Nepal. There is a growing recognition of the potential for gender equality and women’s empowerment to produce social, economic and climate-resilience benefits. Indeed, rural women have unique knowledge, skills and experiences that are essential to promote sustainable practices and tackling the effects of climate change. Thus, we believe that providing rural women with tools and new perspectives to apply in their daily work is one of the keys to ensure their active participation in the improvement of the conditions produced by climate change in rural areas.

If you have any ideas/suggestions or you would like to participate in any of these projects, please write to us at: info@engagewithscience.org

Thanks for your interest in our work!                     More details to come soon!

Post by Sonia Suarez (Training Specialist

of Engage Nepal with Science)