Ujyalo Foundation organized a one-day Feminist Conference (OFC) in Ghodaghodi Municipality of Kailali District in Sudur Paschim Province.

The event kicked off with a welcome address by Amuda Mishra, the Founder and Executive Director of Ujyalo Foundation, who emphasized the importance of intellectual discussions in addition to street movements. Khadka Bahadur Rawat, the Mayor of Ghodaghodi Municipality, also expressed his support for the conference in his opening remarks.

Following the opening panel, two parallel sessions took place. The first session featured a Personal Poster Presentation by changemakers from EmpowHER Junior 2024, where they shared their personal experiences, journeys, and reflections. The second session, led by Brinda Bhattacharya, Program Manager at Ujyalo Foundation, focused on developing strategies to combat harmful traditional practices affecting adolescent girls. Both sessions facilitated dialogue, awareness, and collective learning among participants, providing a platform to address critical community challenges and explore diverse dimensions of youth experiences.

At the conclusion of the conference, a final panel discussion delved into the challenges related to caste, ethnicity, and access that adolescent girls and young women encounter in Kailali. The panel featured Jyoti Chaudhary, a women’s rights activist; Jyoti B.K., an Executive Committee Member of Lamki Chuha Municipality; Balkumari Sunar, Chairperson of Naya Aadhar Nepal; and Radha Kami, ward member of Ward No. 7 in Ghodaghodi Municipality.

Their contributions added depth to the conversation, shedding light on the real-life experiences and pathways toward greater inclusivity and fairness. Malati Bishwakarma, a Fellow of the Feminist Leadership Fellowship 2025, moderated the discussion. She emphasized the importance of providing more opportunities for adolescent girls from historically marginalized communities, such as Dalit and Indigenous groups, who face multiple forms of injustice and exclusion. Bishwakarma underscored the significance of programs like this in enabling marginalized adolescent girls and young women to progress. The initial

panel discussion, titled ‘Accountability of the Local Government in Developing Policies to Support the Leadership of Young Women and Girls,’ explored how local government representatives can play a role in policymaking to empower young leaders.

Panelists at the event included Guliya Kumari Chaudhary, Deputy Mayor of Ghodaghodi Municipality; Juna Chaudhary, Deputy Mayor of Lamki Chuha Municipality; Jayanti Pokharel Gautam, Teacher at Shree Gangri School; and Jenisha Bohora, a changemaker from EmpowHER Junior 2024. They highlighted the crucial role of local government in supporting the leadership of adolescent girls and young women. Deputy Mayor Juna Chaudhary emphasized the need for both policy changes and shifts in social norms. The session was moderated by Amuda Mishra.

Additionally, a local women-led market was set up during the conference to showcase products made by local women, promoting entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Reshu Mali, Finance and Operations Lead at Ujyalo Foundation, expressing gratitude to all participants, changemakers, panelists, and the Ujyalo team.

This successful event, organized in collaboration with Ujyalo Foundation, TEWA, and Ghodaghodi Municipality, reinforced a shared commitment to future initiatives that empower and engage adolescent girls, women, and nonbinary individuals in the pursuit of equality and inclusion.

Ujyalo Foundation, grounded in feminist principles and perspectives, has been implementing initiatives aimed at promoting leadership, access, and empowerment for adolescent girls, women, and nonbinary individuals.

In partnership with Ghodaghodi Municipality and TEWA, Ujyalo Foundation spearheaded the EmpowHER Junior program, which encouraged adolescent girls to cultivate leadership skills, boost self-confidence, and actively participate in their communities.

Building on this success, Ujyalo Foundation, in collaboration with TEWA and Ghodaghodi Municipality, organized a One-Day Feminist Conference (OFC) in Kailali. The theme of this year's OFC was 'समता को उयालो याा: समावेशी पताको ु नेतवृ', focusing on the role of youth in creating a fair society through gender, caste, and class inclusivity. The OFC is an annual event by Ujyalo Foundation that includes discussions, workshops, exhibitions, and dialogues on social and policy issues from a feminist perspective.

The 2082 edition of the One-Day Feminist Conference (OFC) in Kailali featured a variety of sessions, including discussions on the responsible role of local governments in policy-making, leadership showcases by EmpowHER Junior program participants, a session on harmful traditional practices affecting girls, and in-depth conversations on local challenges related to caste, ethnicity, and access.