Opportunities to be Self Sufficient for Women

Women who live in the remote districts of Nepal work very hard from dawn to dusk. They spend their time on household chores, raising children, taking care of cattle, etc., but their work is not paid and not even recognized as work. This results in the husband being considered the powerful person in the family, as he is the one bringing in money. Thus, he makes decisions for the family and the wife simply listens and follows his decisions. However, if she earns money from her work, she can decide how she wants to spend her money.

From our 10 years of experience at TSW, we have found that from whatever a woman earns, she spends 95% on her family, such as buying nutritious food for her children, supporting their education, buying medicines, repairing the home, etc.; in contrast, we have found that 65% of husbands’ incomes are spent on alcohol, gambling, and himself.

By empowering women through livelihood skills and the ability to earn their own money, it is clear that just one of the most obvious benefits is better care for their children’s education and health.