Institutional Member: Raksha Nepal

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Raksha Nepal (RN) was established in 2004 as an initiative for women’s empowerment, and is run by women and girls who have been sexually exploited. Nepali women face multiple forms of discrimination where the existing culture and legal inequalities account for only some of the cases of abuse and exploitation. Often illiterate, poor and lacking certain skills, many of these women seeking to escape difficult situations are tricked or compelled into sex work. Some of the objectives of RN are to create awareness about self-protection from sexual exploitation, rehabilitate and reintegrate women and girls into society by providing alternative employment opportunities through skills training, conduct research and advocate against forced sex work, especially with cases involving minors.  Additionally, RN advocates for effective implementation of national/international laws involving Child Labor, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the modification of other unequal laws currently in practice. Some of the major activities include a shelter home, STD prevention, Raksha Shree Polyclinic, Raksha Shree Cooperative, a Women’s School and legal aid services. RN holds believes that 1) economic empowerment can help women and girls find a way out of sexual exploitation, and 2) a shelter needs to be equipped with new information technologies (IT) to enhance the capacity of women and girls in the IT sector. To find out more about RN, please visit their website

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