Women Empowerment

1. Leadership Development

LACC is committed to empowering women so that their roles are meaningfully recognized and strengthened from the household to local, provincial, federal, and international arenas. Expanding women’s knowledge and competence in areas such as women’s rights, gender justice, local development, existing legal provisions, and newly enacted laws is essential for building confident and capable leaders. Through targeted trainings and awareness programs, LACC equips women with the skills necessary to lead effectively in diverse contexts. Leadership, in LACC’s vision, is not confined to the political sphere; it must be nurtured at every level from the household to global platforms. To this end, LACC has conducted a wide range of leadership and legal training courses, including:

a. Political leadership development

b. Institutional and organizational leadership

c. Leadership in the legal field, including capacity strengthening on anti-human trafficking, women’s roles in disaster management, SGBV, Women, Peace and Security, transitional justice, Mediation and conflict resolution and paralegal training.

d. Student leadership initiatives. By investing in women’s leadership across multiple domains, LACC fosters a generation of leaders who can drive change, uphold justice, and champion equality wherever they are.

2. Women’s Empowerment Groups Mobilization

LACC has formed and trained women’s empowerment committees on issues such as political empowerment, legal empowerment, and women’s rights. These committees have been mobilized at the local level to strengthen women’s capacity and foster political leadership across local, provincial, and federal levels. The groups advocate for safe and equal participation in political parties as well as in state mechanisms. This platform serves as an entry point for women’s empowerment and leadership. The pool of empowered women further supports other women and youth to become empowered, creating a ripple effect of leadership and advocacy.

3. Paralegal Training and Mobilization

LACC has provided intensive training to hundreds of paralegals across communities, enabling them to act as vital bridges between citizens and service providers. Paralegals serve as frontline justice actors and connectors, handling cases related to gender-based violence, vital registration, domestic violence, and discrimination. They assist community members in writing applications, filling out forms, and accessing justice and service providers. In doing so, paralegals play a pivotal role in community-based movement-building and serve as sustainable sources of awareness. Paralegals not only facilitate but also internalize their role as community educators. As Ambika, a paralegal, explained:

“When we attend weddings or baby showers, we bless families with the information that marriages and births must be registered within 35 days. If you need help, we will be there.”

To sustain their work, LACC has provided seed money that paralegals manage as endowment funds, rotating them according to community needs. This innovative approach not only strengthens justice delivery but also supports economic empowerment.

One paralegal and endowment fund beneficiary shared her story:

“I was a survivor of domestic violence and had the opportunity to take paralegal training from LACC. Working as a paralegal made me feel empowered. I borrowed NPR 35,000 from our endowment fund and invested in piglets. The first birth gave me seven piglets, which I sold for NPR 5,000 each and repaid the fund. Twice more, my pig gave birth to seven piglets. Now my husband and children are busy taking care of them, while I continue my work as a paralegal. We are financially secure, and that small support changed my life forever.”

Through these efforts, LACC’s paralegal program demonstrates how access to justice and economic empowerment can go hand in hand, transforming lives and strengthening communities.

4. Grassroots Women’s Organizations (GWO) Capacity Building and Mobilization

LACC has been building the capacity of grassroots women’s organizations (GWOs) to strengthen their advocacy, evidence collection, storytelling, and facilitation of justice in cases of SGBV, domestic violence, human trafficking, and discrimination. LACC identifies GWOs as sustainable connectors and catalysts for community movement-building and local justice provision. Training provided to GWOs includes digital literacy for video/audio evidence collection, digital safety, legal literacy, referral mechanisms, issue identification, and confidentiality. These skills enhance their capacity to serve their communities, to be empowered themselves, and to empower others. During COVID-19, seed funding was provided to ensure the sustainability and continuation of their work. GWOs also serve as frontline women human rights defenders in their communities.

5. Capacity Building of Informal Justice Actors

LACC respects traditional practices when they are suitable and supportive of justice at the community level. However, we also work to align these practices with human rights and constitutional provisions. LACC provides training to Bhalmansas (informal justice providers from Tharu and Choudhary communities), Panchayats in Madhesi communities, and Maulanas in Muslim communities. These actors are active mechanisms for justice in their communities. Training focuses on gender equality, inclusion, constitutional and legal provisions, and human rights. LACC also provides registers for data keeping and confidentiality training to ensure victim protection.

6. Clinical Legal Education, Bar Exam Preparation, and Mentoring

LACC provides practical, experience-based training programs for lawyers and young law graduates to strengthen their legal skills and commitment to social justice. These intensive trainings particularly benefit women graduates who are newcomers to the field with little or no experience, as well as those who have had long gaps in practice due to reproductive and household responsibilities—often resulting in low confidence or lack of professional guidance. The programs are designed to build case-handling skills, including legal counseling, drafting, pleading, and overall case management. As one participant reflected:
“Clinical legal education was the turning point of my life. After graduation, I lacked confidence due to domestic responsibilities. The nine-month program gave me the skills to practice law. Today, I am a Senior Legal Aid Officer.” Adv. Manju Marasini

Another participant shared:
“I was from an orthodox Muslim family where women and girls were not allowed to leave the house without a guardian. I had completed my intermediate-level education at a law college in my hometown, but I was not permitted to pursue further studies. During a field visit, Prof. Dr. Shanta Thapalia, Chairperson of LACC, learned about my situation and personally met my father to convince him. With her guarantee, my father allowed me to join LACC’s clinical legal education program and continue my studies. That opportunity changed my life. I became a human rights activist and later served as a Commissioner of the National Women Commission and the National Human Rights Commission.”Mohna Ansari

7. Capacity Building of Justice Actors

LACC is dedicated to enhancing access to justice by building the capacity of key justice actors, ensuring they are equipped with the tools and knowledge to deliver gender-responsive and inclusive legal services from the local to federal levels. LACC has conducted several training courses for police, judges, court staff, local governments, and lawmakers. Following the introduction of federalism, LACC has been providing training to judicial committees and mediators to strengthen their ability to deliver gender-responsive justice. Similarly, LACC has organized capacity-building programs for local governments on law-making processes, gender-responsive justice, and coordination mechanisms across different legal issues. LACC has been providing legal advisors to local governments to support the Judicial Committees to deliver gender responsive justice.

8. Resource Development and Dissemination

Through these initiatives, LACC empowers justice actors to better serve women, youth, and marginalized groups, fostering a more equitable and accessible justice system at the grassroots level. We create and distribute legal materials, hoarding boards, posters, training manuals, toolkits, and guides tailored for both formal and informal justice actors and duty bearers. These resources help them adopt inclusive, rights-based approaches in their daily practice. Additionally, LACC produces legal awareness materials in local languages to empower communities to seek justice in a timely and appropriate manner.

9. Legal Awareness and Community Outreach

LACC believes that true justice begins at the community level. Through our Community Empowerment & Support Services, we strengthen the capacity of both formal and informal justice actors to respond effectively and sensitively to the needs of women, youth, and marginalized groups. LACC is committed to raising awareness and empowering women and children from marginalized communities through creative and accessible outreach programs. We conduct mass awareness programs in hard-to-reach communities and organize hatbazar (marketplace) awareness campaigns targeting people who otherwise lack access to such programs. These initiatives help individuals recognize discrimination and violence in their lives or communities, encouraging them to seek justice.

10. Vehicle Paintings and Public Art

LACC harnesses the power of art as a dynamic tool for social messaging, using visually engaging mobile campaigns to promote legal rights, gender equality, and justice. As part of this initiative, vehicles are painted with key information that communities need—such as legal awareness messages, reporting procedures, and contact details for support services.

These vehicles travel along local routes, ensuring that the messages reach diverse audiences across neighborhoods and communities. Passengers, as well as those who encounter the vehicles on the road, are exposed to these impactful visuals, making them an effective medium for spreading awareness. By transforming everyday public transport into moving canvases, LACC creates accessible, creative, and far-reaching platforms for justice and equality.

11. School Awareness Programs

Educating young minds on rights, safety, and equality is central to building a more informed and just future generation. Through dynamic outreach efforts, LACC ensures that critical legal knowledge reaches those who need it most, empowering individuals to claim their rights and seek justice with confidence. School awareness programs such as “Know Your Rights” focus on child rights, human trafficking laws, and SGBV prevention. Students become influencers in their homes and communities, raising awareness on SGBV, domestic violence, and discrimination.

12. Youth Empowerment and Mobilization

LACC trains youth to combat gender-based violence and discrimination through multi-layered training programs. Master Trainers (MTOT) prepare youth activists, who then mobilize communities to raise awareness on SGBV and domestic violence. Youth have proven to be effective influencers in challenging harmful norms and promoting gender equality. By engaging local stakeholders, youth groups, and women’s networks, LACC fosters a responsive and empathetic justice environment one that listens, protects, and empowers at every level.

13. Networking and Collaboration

LACC builds strong partnerships among justice actors, service providers, and community leaders to foster a unified approach to justice. The organization plays a leading role in networks such as the Women NGO Federation, UPR Civil Society Group, CEDAW Civil Society Group, Women Security Pressure Grops (WSPG), and the Pro Bono Network.

Conclusion

Through these comprehensive initiatives, LACC advances women’s empowerment by strengthening leadership, mobilizing communities, building sustainable grassroots organizations, and enhancing justice delivery. By combining advocacy, training, outreach, and collaboration, LACC fosters a justice system that listens, protects, and empowers women, youth, and marginalized groups at every level.