Kalpavriksha - IMS (Nepal)

Les femmes en affaires

Over 80% of the population in Nepal live in rural villages where consumers are significantly under served by both public services and commercial products.

Women spend up to 8 hours of their day collecting and using firewood and other household energy inputs that are dangerous, expensive, and harmful to their health.

Women have little access to income generating opportunities.

Rural women and girls are disproportionately affected by a lack of quality

products and services as the burden of household duties such as cooking, washing and collecting clean water is their responsibility.

Women are less mobile than men and do not visit market centres as often.

Consumer diversity is high and road infrastructure is poor. This presents

challenges for companies pursuing traditional marketing and distribution

channels

Women in Nepal are household energy managers. They gather and use fuels such as kerosene and firewood. This results in women suffering the most from energy poverty; however, they stand to gain the most. KGG employs female sales agents who can work their way up to becoming CEOs. KGG creates opportunities for sales agents and CEOs to gain lasting business skills and social status in their communities that they can take and apply to other aspects of their lives. Many women in our network return to school and are inspired by KGG’s women-led distribution network. Often, they go on to start their own new ventures in their communities.

Most women working in our network left school and got married before the age of 18 and have had no prior formal work experience. For a rural, uneducated woman, KGG provides a rare opportunity to become a business leader in her community, which, unlike other empowerment programs, creates more growth in social status, and offers continuing professional development and access to financing typically leading to significant income increases. Sales agents learn valuable business skills on the job that they can apply to further their professional or educational aspirations.

benefits in terms of health, safety and economic savings.