Flood-hit women entrepreneurs determined to rebuild their businesses
Summary
Floods in Nuwakot and Rasuwa have devastated the shops and livelihoods of women entrepreneurs, leaving many struggling to restart businesses while seeking government support. Several say they need housing, loans and business space more than relief alone to rebuild their lives.
Key Points
- Flash floods on August 26 destroyed homes, shops and livelihoods across Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Dhading, hitting many women-run small businesses hard.
- Women entrepreneurs such as Januka Mijar, Pemba Dechhen Tamang and Premgeeta Kumari Tharu lost inventories, capital and rented business spaces, with losses running from hundreds of thousands to millions of rupees.
- Affected women say current relief schemes focus on homeowners and leave out renters and small business owners who need reinvestment support, housing and credit to restart.
- Provincial and local officials say rescue and relief are the immediate priority, with plans to later support small entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment.
