The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on 14 June 2024 signed a new agreement in Kathmandu that invests a total of US$6.6 million to support adolescent teenagers and young women in Nepal over the next four years. Specifically, the partnership will target the high levels of harmful practices and gender-based violence these women and girls are exposed to in Lumbini, Madhesh, and Sudurpaschim provinces.

The partnership will create safe spaces for adolescents and provide tools, including digital ones, to assist them develop their social capital and peer-based support networks, provide comprehensive sexuality education in and out of schools, and strengthen services for gender-based violence prevention and response across municipalities. It will include partnerships with key federal and local ministries and agencies.

The new agreement was signed by Ms. Won Young Hong, UNFPA Country Representative for Nepal, and Ms. Jeong-eun Song, Senior Deputy Country Director of KOICA Nepal.

The Senior Deputy Country Director of KOICA Nepal, Ms. Jeong-eun Song, highlighted during the signing that “the initiative to empower adolescent girls and young women in Nepal stands as a beacon of hope in the fight against harmful practices and gender-based violence. By providing safe spaces, strengthening support systems, enhancing educational interventions, and embracing digital solutions, the project not only equips participants with the tools for self-advocacy and empowerment but also paves the way for a more inclusive and just society.”

The UNFPA Country Representative, Ms. Won Young Hong, stressed during the signing, “This partnership between UNFPA and KOICA is a crucial addition to our efforts to accelerate the ICPD Agenda.” She continued to recognise the key role of partnerships, both with KOICA and the federal and local governments. “This partnership can be a catalyst for change on so many levels. It is crucial that we build on the strong results achieved by the government so far and we continue to have strong support from federal and local governments that realise the potential of adolescent girls and young women as change agents.”

This partnership between KOICA and UNFPA supports the attainment of SDG 5.3 and the elimination of harmful practices and SDG16.1 to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.