Despite holding a Bachelor’s degree, 25-year-old Bindu* faced significant barriers to finding formal employment. She lives with her in-laws and three children in a rural village in Dhanusha, Madhesh Province, where low wages and limited job opportunities have made it difficult to secure meaningful work. With few options available, Bindu eventually took on full-time responsibilities for childcare and domestic chores. Her husband works abroad as a migrant labourer, a common reality for many families in the region, where well paid local employment opportunities remain scarce. According to the Fourth Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS-IV) 2022–23, Nepal’s youth unemployment rate exceeds 20%, one of the highest in South Asia.
With the introduction of the She Leads programme in Dhanusha, Bindu became curious about its impact, especially after learning that it focused on supporting marginalised communities, including women from the Dalit community to which she belongs. Designed for married girls and young women aged 15–25, the programme offers non-formal education in life skills, financial literacy, and livelihood development. Through a community-based learning approach, She Leads aims to strengthen participants’ personal and economic capacities. Supported by the Prosolidar Foundation and other partners, the initiative is implemented by Street Child of Nepal in partnership with the Janaki Women Awareness Society
It’s been six months since Bindu participated in the learning centre in Kurtha Mahara Tole. Having completed both the life skills and financial literacy classes, Bindu will further recieve business planning consultations to ensure sustainable support systems for future income-generating activities. She expressed that the programme’s practical and inclusive design resonated with her personal and professional aspirations. Despite her educational background, she found it difficult to secure dignified employment and has appreciated the programme’s emphasis on economic self-reliance.
Encouraged by the knowledge and support she has received, Bindu has chosen tailoring as her preferred livelihood pathway. She is actively engaged in learning business planning and is looking forward to establishing her own small-scale enterprise.
*Names have been changed for safeguarding and protection purposes.