Description
Empower Dalit Women of Nepal, (EDWON) supports marginalized, rural women repressed by caste and gender to claim their rights and to live in dignity.
EDWON's rights based approach addresses the root causes of discrimination and poverty by organizing women into empowerment groups. In these women-led groups, they build solidarity, learn about their human rights and how to take collective action for social change.
The women also gain access to savings and loan activities so they can start small businesses, improve their living standard and educate their children.
EDWON’s bottom-up approach focuses directly on the United Nations Millennium Goals of women’s empowerment, gender equality, poverty reduction, and universal education.
EDWON was founded by Bishnu Pariyar, a young Dalit woman, who grew up in family of subsistence farmers. She has overcome immense obstacles of poverty, and discrimination to become a powerful advocate for Dalit women. EDWON is an all volunteer U.S.-based 501(c) 3 organization closely affiliated with ADWAN (Association of Dalit Women’s Advancement of Nepal).
ADWAN, founded in 1998, is an independent, non-governmental organization registered in Nepal.
EDWON raises funds in the U.S. exclusively for ADWAN, which leads and carries out the programs in Nepal.
Since 1998
- 2500 Dalit women in 73 groups have become agents of change.
- 95% of all women’s groups started are still active
- Almost 2000 children have received educational support
