Empowering Women of Nepal

What Empowering Women of Nepal does

Empowering Women of Nepal (EWN) is a Pokhara-based non-governmental organization founded around 2002 that delivers vocational training and leadership programs to women and adolescent girls in Nepal. Its core product is the Female Trekking Guide Training Program, a multi-week curriculum covering tourism, geography, flora and fauna, history, culture, communication, first aid, leadership, map reading, and English language; the program has run 43 batches to date, with approximately 30 trainees drawn from 10 districts per batch. EWN is closely operationally linked with 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking, whose founder Lucky Karki Chhetri also founded EWN, creating a built-in employment pipeline for trained guides in the adventure tourism sector.

EWN's product portfolio extends beyond trekking guide training to include Girls Leadership Training (GOAL) for 85 adolescent girls aged 12-18 in two public schools, Rock Climbing Training under a Sport for Development framework, Wilderness First-Aid Training delivered in partnership with SOLO and KEEP, STEM education projects in schools, and Basic Homestay and Hotel Management Training for disabled persons in Western Nepal. A Training of Trainers (TOT) program was added in January 2023 to build internal capacity. The organization is led by Founder and Director Lucky Karki, President Dicky Karki, and Secretary Binita Baral, with a total staff of six.

EWN is a donor-funded nonprofit with no publicly disclosed revenue. Program funding flows from international donors and foundations including PLAN International Nepal, Cottier Donze Foundation, Laureus Sport for Good, The SOL Foundation, Mission East, DMCDD, KEEP, 3 Sisters Foundation, and Women Fair Travel. The go-to-market is event-driven: training is delivered directly at EWN's Pokhara training hall and through on-site workshops at partner schools and rural communities, with beneficiary recruitment handled through community partnerships and word-of-mouth. The program's market is rural Nepal, with no international service delivery or commercial fee structure in place.

Name

Empowering Women of Nepal

Legal name

Empowering Women of Nepal

Website

https://empoweringwomenofnepal.wordpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Empowering Women of Nepal (EWN) is a Pokhara-based non-profit founded in 2002 that delivers skills training, leadership development, and adventure tourism education to rural and marginalized women and adolescent girls across Nepal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Vocational Training Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education, Skills & Workforce Development Aid Programs (BPADABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Study Habits & Homework Systems Workshops (EDAMAIAL)

Keywords

• Women's empowerment training
• Trekking guide certification
• Girls leadership development
• Vocational skills training
• Nonprofit education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pokhara

HQ country

Nepal

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor and Foundation Funding: EWN operates as a nonprofit organization funded by international donors, foundations, and development organizations that support women's empowerment and education initiatives in Nepal.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Empowering Women of Nepal (EWN) is a nonprofit organization that delivers skills training and education programs for women's empowerment in Nepal. Its offerings include a Female Trekking Guide Training Program, Girls Leadership Training (GOAL), Rock Climbing Training, Wilderness First-Aid Training, STEM education, Basic Homestay and Hotel Management Training, and Training of Trainers (ToT). Programs are delivered at the EWN training hall in Pokhara and through on-site workshops at partner schools and rural communities.

Product overview

Empowering Women of Nepal (EWN) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of training and empowerment programs for women and girls in Nepal. The core offerings include the Female Trekking Guide Training Program, which provides comprehensive preparation for women to become professional trekking guides; Girls Leadership Training (GOAL), a school-based program for adolescent girls covering life skills; Rock Climbing Training under a Sport for Development framework; Wilderness First-Aid Training for tourism professionals; STEM education projects in schools; and Basic Homestay and Hotel Management Training for community economic development. Additionally, EWN offers Training of Trainers (ToT) programs to build internal capacity. The organization operates primarily in the adventure tourism and education sectors, with partnerships supporting training delivery and funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Female Trekking Guide Training Program A comprehensive multi-week training program that prepares women from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds in Nepal to become professional trekking guides. Curriculum includes tourism, geography, flora & fauna, history, culture, communication, first aid, leadership, map reading, English language, and women's rights. Participants are typically rural and marginalized women who gain a pathway into Nepal's adventure tourism industry.
• Girls Leadership Training (GOAL) A school-based weekly program delivered over 9 months in Nepali public schools, providing life-skills and sports-skills leadership training for adolescent girls aged 12-18 across four modules: Be Yourself, Be Healthy, Be Empowered, and Be Money Savvy. The program is intended for adolescent girls in public schools.
• Rock Climbing Training A Sport for Development rock climbing program providing theoretical and practical climbing techniques to women and youth trainees in Nepal, funded by Laureus Sport for Good and The SOL Foundation. The program serves women and youth interested in adventure sports skills.
• Wilderness First-Aid Training A training program for trekking guides and tourism professionals covering Patient Assessment System, lifting and moving techniques, splinting, spinal cord injury management, shock treatment, rewarming ("human burrito"), frostbite and sunburn prevention, bandaging, and CPR. Delivered in partnership with SOLO and KEEP. Intended for trekking guides and adventure tourism professionals.
• STEM Project A STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education project delivered at Shree Krishna Secondary School in Nepal to strengthen practical and theoretical knowledge and help students make informed career choices. Targeted at secondary-school students.
• Basic Homestay and Hotel Management Training A community-based training program in homestay and hotel management delivered in partnership with HEAD and Mission East in Western Nepal (Humla) to support local economic development through tourism. Targeted at persons with disabilities in remote mountain communities.
• Training of Trainers (ToT) A 7-day capacity-building Training of Trainers program for EWN staff and 3 Sisters Trekking Guides that enhances teaching capacity using experiential learning and active teaching techniques, with the January 2023 cohort focused on the GOAL curriculum. Intended for EWN internal staff and partner trekking guides.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained 30 female trekking guides from 10 districts in the 43rd training batch
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Laetitia F. Gruwel (Tara)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 10 May 2022Communication consultant and journalist from the Netherlands who conducted a 2-day communication workshop covering storytelling, presenting, and photography skills for EWN staff.
• SOLO (Southeast Outdoor Leadership Opportunities)majorTechnology or Integration · 11 November 2021Provided Wilderness First Aid training through their instructor Mr. Hal Beck. Training included practical skills and theoretical knowledge for emergency situations during trekking.
• Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2021Collaborated with 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking to organize 5-day Wilderness First Aid Training for trekking guides and tourism professionals in Pokhara.
• PLAN International NepalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2021Partner organization for SOYEE Project - Basic Female Trekking Guide Training. Joint 6-week intensive training program on technical and conversational English from 8 districts of Nepal.
• SOYEE PROJECTmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaborative project partner for Basic Female Trekking Guide Training with PLAN International Nepal, focusing on providing technical and conversational English training.
• 3 Sisters Adventure TrekkingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose operational partnership; 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking works in cooperation with EWN to provide employment opportunities for trained female guides and supports training programs. Lucky Karki Chhetri is Founder of both organizations.
• Himalayan Education and Development (HEAD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with EWN to support economic development in Western Nepal through tourism, organizing Basic Homestay and Hotel Management Training in Humla.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Laureus Sport for Good: Global foundation that funds EWN's Rock Climbing Sport for Development program. A peer in funding sport-based skills training for marginalized youth and women.
• UN Women Nepal: UN entity that recognized EWN's founder through the WEPs Awards and supports gender equality programming in Nepal. A peer in advancing women's economic empowerment through partnerships with grassroots organizations.
• PLAN International Nepal: International INGO collaborating with EWN on the SOYEE Project for female trekking guide English training. Operates a much broader portfolio of girls' rights and youth empowerment programs across Nepal.
• CARE Nepal: Large international NGO with extensive women's empowerment and livelihoods programming across Nepal. Comparable as a similarly themed donor-funded women's economic empowerment organization.

Others

• Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA): Industry association advancing adventure tourism globally. Comparable as a sectoral body supporting the market in which EWN trains its female trekking guides.

Direct peers

• 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking: Pokhara-based trekking company exclusively employing female guides and the primary employer of EWN's trained graduates. Shares founder and operates a co-dependent training-to-employment pipeline with EWN.
• Himalayan Education and Development (HEAD): Partnered with EWN on the Humla homestay and hotel management training program for disabled persons. A direct peer in Western Nepal community-based skills training and economic development through tourism.
• Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP): Collaborated with EWN on the 5-day Wilderness First-Aid Training for trekking guides. A direct peer in tourism-sector workforce training and certification in Nepal.

Regional players

• Women for Human Rights (WHR): Nepal-based NGO focused on women's rights, empowerment, and economic alternatives. Comparable as a domestic organization advancing women's economic independence through training and advocacy.

Emerging players

• The Mountain Fund: US-based nonprofit supporting community development and training in Nepal's mountain regions. Comparable as a donor-funded organization delivering skills training in remote Nepali communities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=LPX8TO4_tX4
• Facebookfacebook.com/3sistersadventuretrekking
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empowering-women-of-nepal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Empowering Women of Nepal