Lamahi Municipality, in collaboration with UN Habitat Nepal and Nirasij Youth Foundation, celebrated the 115th International Women’s Day with a vibrant cultural rally and awareness programs focused on women’s rights and empowerment. The event brought together over 600 participants, including landless Tharu, Dalits, Dhimal, Magar, women farmers, and cooperative groups, highlighting their commitment to gender equality.

Tharu Women showcasing their cultural tableau PC : Neelam Tripathi-CSRC

Bandana Sinha of UN Habitat facilitated an orientation program on women's economic empowerment, land rights, and land tenure security as vital elements in achieving gender equality. The session covered status on women's landownership and rights to inheritance to property, and policies to improve their access to land through joint land ownership and discounts on registration fees. The session was attended by around two hundred women and discussed the issues of landlessness and how women and marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by the lack of ownership of land and secured land tenure.

Sushmita Chaudhary, a landless woman from the Sukumbaasi community, shared her story. She said, "As a landless woman, I face many challenges. Ensuring land access for marginalized groups is crucial. I hope the local government continues to support us in securing our rights."

Deputy Mayor Laxmi Yogi emphasized the municipality's ongoing efforts to speed up granting land rights to the community. In her remarks she said, "We are working diligently to make land access easier for all. Our initiatives further aim to empower women through contract farming and increase their economic independence."

Bimala Nepali, a member of the House of Representatives, echoed the importance of land tenure security: "We must advocate for land rights and support landless communities in accessing land ownership."

Participants of the orientation program © Sita Chaudhary, CSRC & Bandana Sinha/ UN Habitat

UN Habitat Nepal is implementing ‘A Safety Net of Innovative Land Tenure Solutions for Near-Landless Sharecroppers and for a Greener Rural Nepal (L4ACT) project funded by the  Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Republic of Korea (MAFRA) of Korea in four Palikas of Dang including Lamahi. This initiative is dedicated to providing technical assistance to secure land tenure for landless Dalits, Landless Sukumbaasi and Informal Settlers and support in sustainable agriculture through adaptive and resilient actions.