Rural women reshaping agriculture in Nepal

Knowledge is power for Shubhakala Kumari Sah, a farmer from Rampur Pipra Village in the Siraha District of Nepal’s Madhesh Province. She leads the Sitaram Women Farmer’s Group formed under the Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP-RWEE) – implemented by UN Women, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and World Food Programme (WFP), and funded by Norway and Sweden in Nepal. 

Married at 18, Sah’s formal education ended early. But at age 42, she returned to school and passed her Grade 12 exams. Today, she uses that same determination to guide women in her community to embrace new farming skills, financial literacy and collective leadership. 

“The programme may end,” says Sah, “but our learning will continue because it has changed how we live and who we are.” 

In Nepal, JP-RWEE has supported over 5,508 rural women like Sah, and 207 rural men in Madhesh Province’s Siraha and Saptari Districts. Through training, technology and collective action, the programme has nurtured women’s leadership, improved food security, increased financial literacy, nutrition and market access, and built community and climate resilience. 

In a region where 52 per cent of households are women-headed due to men’s out-migration, women carry the twin responsibilities of managing homes and farmlands. Hence, JP-RWEE has turned this challenge into an opportunity, equipping women to lead economically and socially, where UN Women plays an integral part. 

Bimala Devi Kamait uses a manual weeder to clear her paddy field. Photo: UN Women/Srijana Bhatta 

From silence to solidarity 

Bimala Devi Kamait, from Pokharbhinda Village, recalls rarely leaving her home or speaking to men in public. Like many other women, her empowerment began with voice. 

Today, she leads the Saraswati Women Farmer Group, addressing community issues including gender-based violence: “Earlier, we wouldn’t have dared to speak. Now, we stand together.” 

In Pokharbhinda, the Custom Hiring Centre established through JP-RWEE support is providing access to modern agricultural machinery such as tractors, tillers, threshers and sprayers, reducing drudgery, saving time and boosting productivity. 

“We no longer wait months for a tractor. Farming has become easier, especially for older women and those with sons abroad,” says Kamait. 

The programme has also empowered women to rethink what they grow and how they grow it. Farmers now use crop calendars, organic pesticides and mobile apps to manage their farms. By diversifying crops, improving soil health and integrating nutrition education into their agriculture practices, these women are building resilience. 

Mamata Chaudhary leads a discussion on the crop calendar. Photo: UN Women/Srijana Bhatta 

Mamata Chaudhary, from Mirjapur Village, once grew vegetables only for household use. Now she sells her produce in the market. “It’s not just extra income,” she says. “It’s pride.” 

She also advocates for better maternal nutrition after learning how her first pregnancy was affected by a poor diet: “Now I know that caring for ourselves is caring for our families.” 

From dependency to leadership 

Shiva Kala Chaudhary uses a mobile application to plan and manage her agricultural activities. Photo: UN Women/Srijana Bhatta 

JP-RWEE’s financial literacy training has also empowered many women to open small businesses, start dairy or fish farming and join savings groups. 

Sarita Kumari Mehata, from Saptari, used her financial knowledge to document her family’s land. “I managed to transfer our land deeds myself,” she says proudly. 

Sarita Kumari Mehata helps her children with their studies at home. Photo: UN Women/Srijana Bhatta 

Across villages, women who strengthened their leadership capacities through JP-RWEE are attending ward meetings, school management committees and cooperatives, reshaping decision-making spaces once closed to them. Women are leading sustainable practices, planting climate-resilient crops, restoring soils and preserving biodiversity. And their leadership is changing community perceptions. 

“We’re no longer just someone’s wife or daughter-in-law,” says Kamait. “Now people call us by our names, invite us to meetings and listen when we speak.” 

What makes JP-RWEE unique is its integrated approach of challenging discriminatory norms and promoting women’s leadership by combining income-generation, nutrition, financial literacy, collective action and climate-resilience technology with local governance. 

And this is having a larger impact, says Laxmipur Patari’s Mayor, Chaturananda Thakur: “Women are now organized, running enterprises and speaking up in public spaces. They’re not only participants in development. They’re leading it.”