Nepal

The Girls' Education Challenge (GEC) had five projects working in Nepal, which improved learning opportunities and outcomes for 34,306 of the country's marginalised girls. 

Projects

Supporting the Education of Marginalised Girls in Kailali (STEM) - Project completed implementation in March 2021

The STEM project supported 7,046 girls and was implemented by Mercy Corps.

STEM worked with marginalised out-of-school girls, recent drop-outs and girls at risk of drop out. These girls faced several barriers to progressing in their education which included pressure for early marriage, early pregnancy and negative gender norms which placed little value on their education and a lack of guidance from parents and a lack of an enabling home environment to learning. Several barriers to learning in schools included poor school infrastructure and a lack of WASH facilities, inadequate reproductive health education and services, inadequately trained teachers and gender-based violence in and on the way to schools. For those in the most remote communities, distance to school was also a barrier, as were a lack of opportunities to acquire life and vocational skills.

The project empowered girls to safely access education and economic activities. It aimed to increase attendance and create positive community attitudes towards girls’ education. To achieve this, STEM focused on improving girls’ educational outcomes, increasing their access to income-generating activities and cultivating an enabling environment for girls’ empowerment. It focused on various intervention areas impacting on girls’ learning and transition outcomes, such as teaching practices, safeguarding, self-confidence, gender sensitivity and sustainability.

Sisters for Sisters' Education- Project completed implementation in June 2021

The Sisters for Sisters’ Education project supported 7,382 girls and was implemented by Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO).

The project worked in schools with high drop-out rates amongst girls and absenteeism. Barriers to girls’ progressing in education included the prevalence of harmful social norms and traditional practices. Chhaupadi is one such practice which isolates girls while they are menstruating. Whilst this practice is illegal, it is still practiced in some communities. Other barriers were the high rates of child marriage, high household chore burdens, and the low decision-making power of girls. The cost of education was also a major barrier for households in poverty. A lack of quality education that is responsive to girls’ needs is also an issue and schools in project communities were often poorly resourced.

This project worked with 64 schools to improve the education of marginalised girls, helping them to transition from primary to secondary school, and leave school ready to continue their education or secure sustainable employment. The project supported girls’ transition from school into either livelihood-related employment or the next phase of their education. A mentoring approach was at the heart of the project, whereby Little Sisters were supported and mentored by senior girls known as ‘Big Sisters’ in their academics to boost their self-efficacy and deal with everyday challenges.

Leave No Girl Behind projects

Empowering a New Generation of Adolescent Girls with Education (ENGAGE)- project completed implementation in February 2023

The ENGAGE project supported 2,525 girls and was implemented by Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO).

ENGAGE helped improve learning outcomes and empower highly marginalised adolescent out of-school girls– including those with disabilities – in project communities. The girls were out of school for many reasons. These included domestic duties in the household, little value placed on their education (and a lack of encouragement), economic barriers and child marriage. Research showed that married girls in Nepal are ten times more likely to drop out than their unmarried peers.

The project improved girls’ basic literacy and numeracy skills and increased their access to quality and inclusive formal or non-formal education and employment opportunities. It worked with community and government partners to set up and equip 27 Community Learning Centres (CLCs). Girls had opportunities to attend bridge and preparatory classes in CLCs and remedial support classes in schools. The project equipped girls with transferable skills for improved learning, better decision-making, more active roles in family decisions and the pursuit of their own economic opportunities. ENGAGE achieved this through peer-support for adolescent girls, community interventions, social support for families of children with disabilities, structured trainings for teachers and mentors, and a key focus on inclusion of children with special needs.

Aarambha

The Aarambha project supported 9,497 girls and was implemented by People In Need (PIN).

Madhesh province has the high illiteracy rate in Nepal. The Rautahat and Bara districts are ranked at the bottom as two of the least-performing districts within the Madhesh province in terms of development indicators, especially the ones relating to girls’ education and life outcomes. Cultural norms and traditions underpin community structures in the Mahesh province. Young girls are burdened with heavy household responsibilities from a young age and there is a lack of acceptance for them going outside, earning income, or engaging in income-generating work. Early marriage rates are high. Traditional thinking, and unwillingness to change have contributed to the perpetuation of these harmful social norms which negatively impact on girls’ education.

The Aarambha project supported some of the poorest and marginalised out-of-school adolescent girls. The project addressed the issue of girls’ low social status – the principal barrier impeding their safety, health and education – and improved their learning outcomes and life skills through formal and non-formal education methods. It also increased transition into formal education, vocational training, and safe employment helping girls lead healthy, safe and educated lives.

Marginalised no More (MnM) - Project completed implementation in March 2022

The Marginalised No More project supported 7,856 girls and was implemented by Street Child.

Musahar communities are highly marginalised due to their low-caste, and Musahar girls face complex, often interrelated barriers and experience limited or no access to education. Musahar communities are often on the peripheries, in remote, hard to reach areas, isolated from other communities and unable to access basic services including health, education and transport services. They are landless with most trapped in debt bondage which they are born into. Musahar girls, struck by caste, class and gender discrimination, bear the brunt of this oppression. Girls are often forced into early marriage, engaged in domestic work and wage labour, and led into bonded labour to support families to pay off debts. Parents are generally unable to meet the costs of schooling, and many fear for their daughters’ safety and security, which deters them from sending them to school.

The project improved learning outcomes for these girls with a specific focus on functional literacy and numeracy and supported their transition into meaningful employment and income generation. In addition to accessibility issues, the project tackled the principal obstacles faced by these girls which include fears for safety and security, out-of-school affordability and in-school gender-related exclusion from curriculum and instruction.