Women Welfare Service (WWS) is a nonprofit and non-governmental organization established in 1993. The objective of this organization is to work for the most marginalized women of Karnali with the aim to empower them socially and economically, promote inclusion in every structure and process, and enhance their access to every facility and right. WWS is a women-led local NGO that includes in its staff and executive management members from marginalized communities, ethnic minorities, and Dalits. WWS has implemented projects that address extreme poverty and women suffering deprivation in the Karnali region. WWS works in major four themes: Livelihood, Education, Health, and Empowerment including climate change, and disability. The projects implemented by WWS have: promoted and protected women’s rights; enhanced the economy and women’s livelihoods; assisted in organizing and mobilizing women & other marginalized groups; hosted literacy classes for women; created income generations opportunities for women; supported the development of infrastructure to support the social development of the vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Women of Karnali are the most marginalized women in the context of Nepal because they are economically and socially backward, politically excluded. Women of Karnali are suffering from domestic violence, sexual harassment that also includes child marriages, Chhaupdi (meanstural taboo where women and girls and banished to reside in their meansurating period and has to leave in small hut excluding from all kinds of facilities and social interaction). They do not have ownership of land and property. They have less access to education, employment, health care facilities. In Karnali Province, 42% of women have no education, 13% have attended primary education, 26% have some secondary education, and 20% have SLC and above education. They are lacking employment and income generation skills and opportunities. Women of Karnali have less exposure to mass media only 1 percent. Nevertheless, the exposure to mass media of women in the whole country is only 3 percent. Out of 15,013, 4801 numbers of women are represented in the district and VDC levels. Women’s position in decision-making and leadership positions is very less.