Confidence and courage take root in Karnali
In western Nepal, thanks to the Girls Matter project, two girls are challenging early marriage and gender discrimination after joining the Rupantaran social and financial skills programme
Karnali: In Chaukune Rural Municipality in western Nepal, 24-year-old Kalpana is a mother of two. Married too young, she had very few opportunities to learn or grow, and she often wondered if her life could be different.
A few hours away in Dullu Municipality, 15-year-old Rekha faced her own struggles.
Known for being shy and “too quiet,” she avoided speaking in public, even when she knew the answers in class.
Her silence sometimes drew teasing from classmates and kept her from sharing her ideas.
Though their lives were separate, both girls shared the same need: an opportunity to believe in themselves.
Today, however, they are almost unrecognizable, thanks to the Rupantaran social and financial skills programme under the Girls Matter Project. Supported by UNICEF Nepal with funding from the German National Committee and facilitated by local partner Social Service Centre (SOSEC) Nepal, the programme marked a new chapter for them, Kalpana as a facilitator and Rekha as a participant.
Proving them wrong
Joining the facilitator’s training wasn’t easy for Kalpana. She had a nine-month-old baby, and many in her community doubted she could take on anything else. But Kalpana was determined to prove them wrong.
Despite the challenges, she completed all 42 sessions and came out transformed.
“The training gave me so much confidence,” she says.
She has since facilitated over 50 sessions for girls in her community, growing stronger with each one.
Drawing on her own experience of marrying young, Kalpana’s work focuses on advocating against early marriage, promoting education for girls, and raising awareness about parenting so that families can better support adolescents.
She has also helped several out-of-school adolescents return to school, earning community appreciation and recognition as a role model.
"Kalpana has empowered girls in her community by raising awareness about the importance of continuing education and the consequences of early child marriage and teenage pregnancy,” says Khadak BK, chair of the municipality.
Finding her voice
For Rekha, on the other hand, Rupantaran has opened the door to confidence and communication skills, helping her speak up about issues that matter most to her, including gender- and caste-based discrimination.
“When I first became a member of the adolescents' club, I was so nervous, I couldn't even introduce myself properly. But the more time we spent and the more we interacted, the fear went away,” she recalls.
Her confidence quickly became visible. She became president of her ward-level Adolescent Girls’ Club, leading meetings, engaging local leaders, and initiating community projects, including a rule discouraging minors from buying alcohol, tobacco or drugs.
Today, she leads the district-level Adolescent Girls’ Club.
“We primarily advocate for ending child marriage in the community. We also discuss social ills like the practice of 'untouchability', and the different ways girls and women are suppressed, and find ways to advocate against these,” Rekha says.
From individual growth to community impact, Kalpana and Rekha have shown that given the right opportunity girls can do anything.
Once defined by silence and self-doubt, they are now powerful voices for change -advocating for the rights of girls, challenging harmful practices, and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.
The Rupantaran social and financial skills package was developed by UNICEF and UNFPA in collaboration with the Government of Nepal. Its goal is to equip adolescents especially girls to apply age, sex, and issue appropriate skills to influence decisions that affect their overall development. Rupantaran, meaning “transformation,” focuses on communication and life skills, boosting confidence, and nurturing young changemakers and leaders in their communities.
