About Our Organization

WOFOWON is the first Non-Government Organization working to ensure the rights of women working in the entertainment sectors in Nepal. It was established with the initiation of women working in the same sector by registering in Kathmandu District Administration Office on 25th March 2008. Since then, it has been working to ensure human rights, labor rights, the right to live with dignity, and freedom of women working in this sector. WOFOWON works against discrimination, suppression, injustices, labor exploitation, oppression, and physical and sexual harassment against women working in the entertainment sectors.

WOFOWON is not only an organization and structure but also the strength and power of women workers. WOFOWON has been launching various campaigns to ensure the rights of women working in the entertainment sectors like dance bars, duet (dohori sanjh), massage parlors, and restaurants (Khajaghar) and cabin restaurants. The primary activities include awareness-raising campaigns on labor rights, human rights, safe migration, right to mobility, anti-trafficking, women’s health right, health services, and activities against violence against women, as well as capacity and skills development programs and advocacy.

Vision

We envision a society based on equality and freedom where women’s work in the entertainment sector is recognized, respected, and evaluated.

Mission:

Creating a safe environment for women, WOFOWON aims to campaign for bringing change in social perspective by establishing violence-free, safe and dignified sectors for those working in the entertainment sector.

 

Goals

Our goal is to change negative social perceptions about women workers entertainment sector.

Strategic Objective

  • To unify women workers for attaining rights and to end violence and exploitation.
  • To conduct various seminars, workshops, conferences, capacity building, and skills development programs and raise awareness on human rights, labor rights, right to mobility, economic, social, cultural rights, sexual health rights in women workers and stakeholders.
  • To provide health counseling and services, psycho-social counseling, legal counseling and support, emergency safe shelter support for women working in the sector.
  • To provide shelter service to violence-affected or vulnerable rights holders and their dependents.
  • To carry out legal advocacy for justice.
  • To conduct mass awareness-raising campaigns for social change and to increase gender sensitivity among general people.
  • To Co-ordinate and co-operate with local, national, and international agencies and implement various programs for women’s empowerment.

Working Areas:

WOFOWON has identified Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur districts, and other city areas as major working areas. WOFOWON is also working in 4 different districts, i.e, Butwal, Itahari, Chitwan, and Pokhara, in coordination with the existing women network formed there to raise the issues in informal and entertainment.

Group and Networks:

WOFOWON currently have 14 groups and networks of 160 members. The groups/Networks consists of swarojgar samuha, Urjasil Purush Samuha, Litte star Kishori Samuha, Gayika Samuha, Waiter samuha, Thamel Area Committee, Gongabu Area Committee, Sanskritik Samuha, Mahila Ekata Samuha, Central pahichan Sanjal, Butwal District Network, Chitwan District Network, Itahari District Network and Pokhara District Network.

Central Pahichan Sanjal Group was formed with 13 members of 8 district entertainment sector workers and 5 Provinces of Nepal. Seven members in four district workers networks were included in four districts, i.e Butwal (Province -5), Chitwan (Province -3), Pokhara (Gandaki Province – 4), and Itahari (Province -1). The main objective of forming a worker’s network was to unite them and develop their leadership capacity to raise their voice against injustice at the local level. These networks have been actively raising their voice through different right-based campaigns and lobbying with local government.