NEPAL

Nepal is a landlocked country located between India and China, with a population of 29 million. 75% of the country is covered by mountains and it is home to one of the tallest mountains in the world and famous tourist attraction, Mount Everest. Nepal is also a country with a diverse linguistic, ethnic and religious population. 

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 20% of the population living in poverty and 15 million people vulnerable to falling into extreme poverty. Incidences of poverty are made worse due to high inflation and unemployment rates, political instability and a struggling economy.

Due to its geography, Nepal is also prone to natural disasters. In 2015, Nepal was hit with a devastating earthquake that the country has yet to recover from, with 100,000 people still living in makeshift shelters. Incidences of landslides and floods have also increased in the country, displacing 168,474 people in 2017 and 75,900 people in 2019. 

As a result, many are left in need of WASH, shelter, and food assistance. More recently, in 2020, an earthquake struck the nation with 44 aftershocks reported. 2,100 homes were destroyed and 6,280 families forced to evacuate. To this day, consecutive landslides, floods, and earthquakes continue to devastate Nepal, making it close to impossible for vulnerable individuals to cope, recover and rebuild their lives. 

For people across Nepal, life is incredibly challenging: 

• 17.4% of Nepalis are multidimensionally poor - poor health, lack of education, inadequate working conditions and more (MPPN, 2021) 
• 10.8 million people in Nepal do not have access to improved sanitation, and 3.5 million do not have access to basic water services (UNICEF, 2018)
• 48,000 Nepalis have been newly displaced as a result of disasters in 2020 (iDMC, 2020) 
• Around 5 million people in Nepal are undernourished (The Borgen Project, 2018) 

Islamic Relief started its work in Nepal in 2015, providing immediate relief in the form of temporary shelter, non-food item kits, cash and economic opportunities to communities affected by the devastating earthquake. To date, we have helped close to 30,000 individuals in Nepal through our humanitarian and development work. 

Alongside our seasonal projects such as the Winterization program, we are on the ground in Nepal year-round combating gender-based violence and poor access to water and sanitation. Our developmental project addressing gender-based violence empowers girls and women through self-defence training, socio-economic opportunities, and awareness raising sessions to men and women in targeted communities. 

Considering the importance of water and sanitation, recent work on the ground supported infrastructure development, water rehabilitation and WASH awareness. In partnership with BATAS Foundation, Islamic Relief Canada repaired school buildings, playgrounds, and classrooms, as well as raised awareness on hand washing techniques and the importance of water in health and environmental protection. 

Radha is a participant in Islamic Relief’s Self-Defence Training for women and adolescent girls, as a part of our Addressing Gender-Based Violence through Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women, Men, and Children in Nepal project. This project aims to reduce gender-based violence, ensuring the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls. 

16 year old Radha was overjoyed to attend the local training and activities. She expressed the dire need for self-defence training for girls and women as incidents of sexual exploitation, assault, abuse, and rape increase within Nepal. 

For girls like Radha, the risk of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment is always a threat. Walking to school, completing chores, and all day-to-day activities have a risk in rural areas, where women are more vulnerable due to restricted power, resources, and social class. 

Through protection projects, such as this one, we build up the confidence of women, helping them understand the conceptual ideas of violence, causes, and impacts but also teach them crucial skills to defend against such violence.

Self-defence has boosted Radha’s confidence and she is now inspiring her friends and sisters to also participate in classes, empowering a community. 

She shared, "I will certainly continue practicing the skills that I've learned, and I will pass it on to others. I will be safe and I will support saving others."

Addressing GBV through Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women, Men, and Children, photos