Our Achievements

International Level

  • Received ECOSOC Status at United Nation in July 2011. Since 2011, WHR, with other organizations with ECOSOC status, are advocating in the global level to address issues and problems of widowhood.

  • Organized the “International Conference on Capacity Building of Single Women (widows) in 2005 which declared “The Kathmandu Widows Charter” on the basis of human rights instruments like CEDAW, CSW, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 & Beijing Platform of Action.

  • The secretariat for South Asian Network for Widow’s Empowerment in Development (SANWED),a new initiative in the South Asian region to uphold widows’ human rights in all aspects of their lives; end to their poverty and marginalization; and the elimination of all forms of discrimination against them – legal, social, cultural and economic.

  • Organized International Conference on Widowhood: “Widows voices –Empowered” 2010 and Kathmandu Declaration was developed which demanded to have special Rapporteur for Widows and need to have separate desk at N to look after widows issues.

National Level

  • WHR, due to an active and continued campaign from all its stakeholders, has been able to allow a dignified space to single women in the constitution of Nepal.

  • WHR also been able to allocate budget for a three-year interim plan aimed at the empowerment of single women, which is in line with the government’s national policy. This has allowed women in many districts to receive financial aids from their respective local governments.

  • Compared to previous years, a significant number of single women have now started being socially accepted, while the discriminatory traditional and conservative practices instigated on single women have notably declined, all because of continued advocacy and lobbying of WHR and its partners.

  • The media in general too have started playing an active role in voicing the concerns of single women, as the single women have jointly started being involved in different activities aimed at their socioeconomic development. WHR has realized that this has helped change the overall perspectives about single women in the country.

  • In cooperation with the Ministry for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, WHR was successfully able to push for criteria to be incorporated in the second amendment of the Regulation of Single Women Security Fund.

  • In the year 2019, the state repeatedly resorted to cut down or do away with social security allowances meant for single women and differently-abled individuals. However, WHR conducted advocacy campaigns involving concerned ministries and government departments against such initiatives.

  • For the first time in history The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) announced its decision to set up an Emergency Trust Fund solely for the single women (widows) in Nepal and declared its decision to develop a National Action Plan for Widows in Nepal in which WHR will be included in drafting, preparing and enforcing this plan.

  • WHR submitted point-wise suggestions to the Ministry of Law along with the Ministry of Home Affairs for the amendment of Social Security Act aimed at single women.

  • Lily Thapa, Founder of WHR has been nominated as member of national level committee in National Human Rights Commission COVID19 monitoring, Think Tank member of Ministry of Women Children and Senior Citizen, High level committee member of COVID prevention and management committee of Nepal Government.

The NAP 1325 and 1820 now incorporate issues of single women.
WHR and its founder Lily Thapa has received following awards from the government and esteemed organizations in and out of Nepal.

1. Elected as a Member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

2. Conferred with International Human Rights Award-2020 for humanitarian engagement (especially during the nationwide lockdown in the wake of the current coronavirus pandemic)

3. Awarded by Janprabal Kirti by The Honorable President of Nepal 2019

4. Awarded by Influential Women of the Year 2018 by International Lions Club

5. warded by Modi Women Leadership Award 2016 by Stree Shakti India

6. Awarded with a Gorkha Dakshin Bahu by the Honorable President of Nepal 2013.

7. Awarded as Best Social Worker of the Year by “Karma Badri Bikram Smriti Sewa Guthi” in 2008.

8. Recognition from “Mahilaka Lagi Manachitra Sanchar Samuha” in 2008

9. Awarded by “Rastriya Puraskar Pratisthan” in 2008.

10. Awarded as Best Entrepreneur by Boss Magazine (2007).

11. American Biographical Institute recognized Lily Thapa as great women of 21st century in 2006.

12. Awarded as Best Women Manager of the Year (2006) by Management Association of Nepal (MAN)

13. Awarded by Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare in 2006

14. Awarded as Champions of Change by FNCCI (2004)

15. Awarded as Social Worker of the Year 2003 by Gorkha Samaj Kendra

16. Awarded as Ashoka Fellow (2001) by Ashoka International, USA

17. Awarded the prestigious Praval Jan Sewa Padak medal from the Honorable President His Excellency Dr. Ram Baran Yadav on 5th September 2013.
Lily Thapa - Founder of WHR Lily Thapa - Founder of WHR

Through constant lobbying and raising awareness, WHR has successfully changed many discriminatory laws against single women, such as:

1. The deceased husband’s property no longer needs to be returned after remarriage.
2. Selling or changing property ownership don’t require the consent of adult sons and unmarried daughters.
3. Single women no longer need to wait till the age of 35 years to inherit deceased husband’s property.
4. Single women do not have to remain in the chastity of their deceased husband to inherit property.
5. Protest against the Government Budgetary policy on providing NRs. 50000 to couple who marries widow and amended the policy.
6. Single women no longer need to take consent of male family member to obtain a passport.
7. Government has announced the practice of Vaikalya (child widows) as ill-practice that should not be continued.