KATHMANDU: At the ECAN Women's Leadership Conference on ‘Empowerment of Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship,’ held to mark the ‘28th ICAN Day,’ Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, Nawal Kishor Shah Sudi, emphasized that true national development is unattainable without granting equal rights to women. Minister Sudi highlighted that the country's historical marginalization of women has hindered prosperity and stressed the importance of their empowerment for national progress. He underscored that women's unique perspectives enhance leadership and decision-making, and the current underrepresentation in leadership roles is due to a lack of opportunities rather than ability.
Minister Sudi urged conference participants to transform their inspiration into action and promote women's entrepreneurship as a crucial avenue for economic empowerment. He emphasized that financially empowered women not only improve their own economic status but also contribute significantly to their communities and the nation. The ministry has begun implementing supportive policies to enhance women's empowerment at various levels.
The conference featured a panel discussion on women’s leadership and empowerment. Shova Gyawali, president of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs' Associations of Nepal (FWEAN), emphasized the organization's focus on economically and socially empowering women entrepreneurs. She highlighted FWEAN's efforts in skill-based training, quality enhancement, and digitalization to help locally-produced goods gain global recognition.
Radha Pokharel, president of the Capital Market Investor Associations, noted the low female participation in Nepal's stock market and announced share literacy programs to increase women's involvement. Pratishtha Thapa from the British Council Nepal stressed the importance of women's education and mentioned the establishment of Budhanilkantha School to promote educational opportunities for women.
Entrepreneur Sunita Adhikari called for addressing the gender gap in entrepreneurship and emphasized the need for skill-based training. Dr. Namrata Pandey led a yoga session during the event, while Shesh Raj Bhattarai, president of ECAN, highlighted the roles of both private and public sectors in supporting women's entrepreneurship. ECAN also honored women who have made significant contributions to education.
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