Kathmandu: The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have launched the SAFE-Girls project in Nepal to combat gender-based violence and harmful practices affecting adolescent girls and young women.
The initiative, officially launched on February 14, is backed by a US$ 6.6 million budget and will be implemented across 20 municipalities in Lumbini, Madhesh, and Sudurpaschim provinces over the next three years.
With US$ 2.2 million allocated specifically for Lumbini Province, the project aims to provide safe spaces for girls and young women, strengthen peer-based support networks, and enhance services for preventing and responding to gender-based violence.
It will also deliver comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) both in schools and community settings, ensuring that young women have access to crucial information and resources to make informed decisions about their lives.
UNFPA Representative for Nepal, Won Young Hong, emphasized that the initiative builds on lessons from previous programs while introducing new strategies to empower women and adolescent girls beyond the project’s duration.
“The SAFE-Girls initiative is a collective effort that unites government institutions, international partners, community leaders, and young people to drive meaningful and lasting change,” Hong stated.
Plan International Nepal’s Country Director, Ram Kishan, highlighted the pressing issues faced by adolescent girls, including early marriage, limited education and healthcare access, and restrictive social norms.
He described SAFE-Girls as more than just a project, calling it “a movement” aimed at breaking these barriers and fostering a secure, enabling environment for young women to learn, grow, and lead.
During the launch event, government officials, including provincial ministers, reiterated their commitment to ensuring the success of SAFE-Girls.
Lumbini Province’s Minister of Social Development, Janamajaya Timilsina, pledged active participation from both the ministry and the province’s people to maximize the initiative’s impact.
The event was chaired by Ana Prasad Neupane, Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development, Lumbini, and attended by key dignitaries, including Janamajaya Timilsina, Basanti Neupane, Honorable Member of the Lumbini Province Assembly, and Baburam Acharya, District Coordination Committee (DDC) Chief of Kapilvastu.
SAFE-Girls is expected to make a significant contribution to gender equality efforts in Nepal, ensuring that adolescent girls and young women have the resources and support needed to overcome societal challenges and build a better future.