National Indigenous Women Forum

What National Indigenous Women Forum does

National Indigenous Women Forum (NIWF) is a non-governmental organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Pepsicola, Old Sinamangal, Kathmandu, Nepal. The organization operates as one of the largest networking umbrella organizations for indigenous women in Nepal, serving communities across 27 districts and 110+ municipalities. NIWF serves indigenous women and girls from nationalities including Tamang, Thami, Bankariya, and Chepang who face compounded racial, linguistic, religious, cultural, economic, and gender-based discrimination. The organization reaches an estimated 100,000+ people through its advocacy, training, and empowerment programs.

NIWF's service portfolio spans nine core programmatic areas: lobbying at local, national, and international governance levels; leadership development and advocacy training; human rights advocacy; research and publication; youth initiatives (including the Focus for Indigenous Girls sub-brand and the Indigenous Girls Opportunity Fund); documentation of indigenous languages and cultural knowledge; climate justice programs (including Climate Smart Farming training); economic empowerment through skills training (Integrated Pest Management, soap-making, pickle making, knitting); and publication of books, reports, and newsletters. The organization operates a sister organization, Focus for Indigenous Girls (FIG), which addresses climate change, gender-based violence, and education among indigenous girls and youth.

NIWF's revenue model is entirely grant-funded, with no fee-for-service component. The organization receives funding from international donors and partners including MADRE, Mama Cash, Women's Fund Asia, Asia Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (APWLD), International Indigenous Women's Forum (FIMI), UNDP, U.S. Embassy Nepal, GEF/Satoyama Initiative, NOREC, IUCN, and the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives. The organization is governed by a board led by Chairperson Ms. Suni Lama, Vice Chairperson Ms. Yasso Kanti Bhattachan, and Treasurer Ms. Sushila Maya Gole, with approximately 10 employees. Its go-to-market motion is community-led, reaching indigenous women through district-level networks, community groups, and international advocacy platforms.

Name

National Indigenous Women Forum

Legal name

National Indigenous Women Forum

Website

https://niwfnepal.org.np

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Indigenous Women Forum (NIWF) is a Nepal-based non-governmental organization founded in 1998 that advocates for the rights of indigenous women and girls across 27 districts through lobbying, leadership training, climate justice programs, and economic empowerment initiatives, funded entirely by international donor grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

Keywords

• Indigenous women advocacy
• Women's empowerment
• Human rights advocacy
• Community capacity building
• Nonprofit development

Headquarters

HQ city

Kathmandu

HQ country

Nepal

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. International Donor Funding: NIWF receives funding from international organizations and donors including MADRE, Mama Cash, Women's Fund Asia, and government donors such as the U.S. Embassy, GEF, UNDP, and Satoyama Initiative. These funds support advocacy programs, training initiatives, and economic empowerment projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NIWF is a non-profit networking umbrella organization that advocates for the rights, dignity, and empowerment of indigenous women and girls in Nepal. It delivers lobbying and policy advocacy, leadership development, training programs, research, and publications, alongside targeted initiatives such as Focus for Indigenous Girls (FIG), the Indigenous Girls Opportunity Fund (IGOF), climate justice, and economic empowerment programs, operating across 27 districts and 110+ municipalities.

Product overview

National Indigenous Women Forum (NIWF) is a non-profit networking umbrella organization founded in 1998 focused on empowering Indigenous Women in Nepal. Rather than a unified technology product, NIWF offers a portfolio of advocacy and empowerment services including lobbying, leadership development, human rights advocacy, research and publications, youth initiatives (including Focus for Indigenous Girls and Indigenous Girls Opportunity Fund), documentation of Indigenous languages and traditions, climate justice programs, and economic empowerment initiatives. The organization serves across 27 districts and 110+ municipalities in Nepal with programs aimed at securing rights and achieving gender equality for Indigenous Women and Girls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Focus for Indigenous Girls (FIG): A sister organization to NIWF with a specialized focus on raising awareness and addressing critical issues among Indigenous Girls and Youth on topics such as climate change, sex, gender, sexuality, and gender-based violence.

Products and services

• Lobbying and Policy Advocacy Direct lobbying and policy advocacy targeting the Government of Nepal, the Constituent Assembly, National Planning Commission, and the Supreme Court to advance indigenous women's rights and representation in law and policy. Intended audience: policymakers and government bodies in Nepal.
• Leadership Development and Training Programs Capacity-building training and leadership development programs for indigenous women in Nepal, designed to equip participants with skills for civic engagement, organizing, and representation.
• Research and Publications Research outputs and publications on indigenous women's issues in Nepal, supporting advocacy and informing policy discussions.
• Focus for Indigenous Girls (FIG) A targeted program supporting indigenous girls in Nepal, focused on empowerment, education, and opportunity.
• Indigenous Girls Opportunity Fund (IGOF) A program providing opportunity-related support to indigenous girls in Nepal, including pathways for advancement.
• Climate Justice Program A program area focused on climate justice for indigenous women in Nepal, addressing the intersection of environmental and indigenous women's rights.
• Economic Empowerment Program Programs supporting economic empowerment and livelihoods of indigenous women in Nepal.
• National Networking and Umbrella Coordination Coordination and networking services linking indigenous women's groups across 27 districts and 110+ municipalities in Nepal, functioning as an umbrella organization.
• UN Consultative Participation and International Advocacy Participation and advocacy at UN mechanisms, including the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, ECOSOC, and ILO, representing indigenous women from Nepal in international fora.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 100k+ people through advocacy and programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• MADREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term donor and strategic partner supporting NIWF programs. Participates in parallel events at CSW sessions and supports climate smart farming and management training programs for indigenous women.
• Asia Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (APWLD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional women's rights organization collaborating on advocacy and resource sharing for indigenous women.
• International Indigenous Women's Forum (FIMI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal forum for indigenous women organizing events at CSW focusing on CEDAW General Recommendation No. 39 and key issues affecting indigenous women.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports training programs on inclusive governance, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and CEDAW through GEF Small Grants Programme in partnership with Satoyama Initiative.
• SALASANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on indigenous rights advocacy in Nepal.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization partnering on biodiversity and conservation issues affecting indigenous peoples.
• Focus for Indigenous Girls (FIG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization with specialized focus on raising awareness and addressing critical issues among Indigenous Girls and Youth including climate change, gender-based violence, and education. Operates Indigenous Girls Opportunity Fund (IGOF) providing scholarships.
• Indigenous Women Legal Awareness Group (INWOLAG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPR consortium partner working on legal awareness and human rights for indigenous women.
• National Indigenous Disabled Women Association Nepal (NIDWAN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPR consortium partner focusing on intersectionality of indigenous identity and disability rights.
• International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional organization co-organizing workshops on inclusive conservation and indigenous peoples' contributions to biodiversity in Nepal.
• Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella organization for indigenous nationalities in Nepal, collaborating on UPR validation workshops and policy advocacy.
• Kindly World WorldwideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partner participating in parallel events at CSW sessions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MADRE: MADRE is both a long-term donor and strategic partner of NIWF. It is an international women's rights organization supporting NIWF's climate smart farming and management training programs, with a comparable mission and constituency focus.
• Cultural Survival: Cultural Survival is an international indigenous rights organization supporting indigenous communities' rights, languages, and cultures globally. It is comparable to NIWF's advocacy, documentation, and capacity building work for indigenous peoples including women.
• Women's Fund Asia: Women's Fund Asia is a regional women's rights funder that supports NIWF's gender equality initiatives. As a peer funder/advocate for women's rights across Asia, it shares overlapping programmatic and constituency focus.
• Mama Cash: Mama Cash is an international women's rights funder supporting NIWF's World Environment Day and environmental programs for indigenous women farmers. Its grantmaking mission and constituency focus are directly comparable to NIWF's grant-funded work.
• International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA): IWGIA is a global human rights organization dedicated to indigenous peoples' rights, supporting documentation, advocacy, and policy work comparable to NIWF's mission and methodology.

Emerging players

• Forest Peoples Programme: Forest Peoples Programme supports indigenous peoples' rights in forest regions including South Asia, with overlapping focus on biodiversity, climate, and indigenous-led advocacy that parallels NIWF's climate-smart farming and forest restoration programs.
• Tebtebba Foundation: Tebtebba is an indigenous peoples' policy and advocacy organization focused on sustainable development, climate justice, and indigenous knowledge systems, with thematic overlap to NIWF's climate justice and cultural documentation work.

Direct peers

• Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD): APWLD is a regional women's rights organization collaborating directly with NIWF on advocacy and resource sharing for indigenous women in Asia. Both organizations focus on indigenous women's rights, CEDAW advocacy, and grassroots capacity building across the Asia-Pacific region.
• Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN): NEFIN is the umbrella organization for indigenous nationalities in Nepal and collaborates with NIWF on UPR validation workshops and policy advocacy. Both share the Nepal-based indigenous rights focus and overlapping leadership networks.
• International Indigenous Women's Forum (FIMI): FIMI is a global indigenous women's forum that co-organizes CSW events with NIWF around CEDAW General Recommendation No. 39. Both organizations share the same constituency, advocacy platforms, and focus on indigenous women's rights internationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-indigenous-women-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Indigenous Women Forum