National Indigenous Women's Federation (NIWF), with support from the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) from November 2025 to December 2025 jointly implement the project intitled "Empowering Indigenous Women: Combating Discrimination and Promoting Rights" in kathmandu districts of Nepal. The goal of this project is strengthening the rights, dignity and leadership of Indigenous women by reducing discrimination, increasing access to justice and essential services, and promoting their meaningful participation in decision-making processes at all levels.
Overall Objective of the project: Indigenous women actively engage in decision-making processes and take decisive actions to advance their human rights and combat discrimination and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) at national, regional and International Levels in a secure manner.
Specific Objective:
- Enhanced leadership capabilities of Indigenous women and organizations to advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples, address discrimination, and combat gender-based violence at the national and regional level .
- Indigenous women engage with treaty bodies and other relevant special Procedures such as UN special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, and use their recommendations at national level.
Activities which are implemented under this project are as follow:
1. Producing documentation on indigenous customary system and indigenous knowledge along with indigenous women's experience of discrimination and GVB,
a. A research on the Indigenous Danuwar Community of Udayapur District in Nepal:Introduction of the Indigenous Danuwar Community in Udayapur and Exploration of the Gender Dynamics including Gender Based Violence, Gender Discrimination and Women's Empowerment.
b. Producing documentation on indigenous young women's role issues and experience while participating in Nepal's GenZ movement and other contemporary political spaces.
2. Providing emergency funds and small grants to indigenous women experiencing violence, threats, and intimidation. Enhanced support and protection for indigenous women survivors of GBV through provision of emergency funds, enabling them to meet basic needs, access medical treatment, and cover legal fees.
3. Capacity building of Indigenous women on how to use relevant international human rights mechanisms such as relevant treaty bodies, Special Procedures, regional mechanisms, to address discrimination and GBV.
News covered by Indigenous Television about 3 Days Capacity Building Training of Indigenous Women on International Human Rights Mechanism to address discrimination and GBV:
4. Indigenous women share their lived realities and experiences, hold dialogues on their rights and the Gender Based violence they face, engaging with indigenous women's organization, other indigenous organizations, Government officials, Women Commission.
5. Interaction Program on " Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls" as a part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.
National Indigenous Women’s Federation (NIWF) was honored to host two guests from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland on 15–16 December 2025, where we shared project updates, achievements, and our work with Indigenous women, followed by a visit to NIWF office and to the Pahari Indigenous Community in Sikharpa, Lalitpur, allowing the guests to experience local culture, rituals, and see the project’s impact firsthand.
