Three Sisters Trekking leads women to new heights

Empowering Women of Nepal is a Three Sisters led initiative that seeks to train women to work as guides in the Himalayas.

The project is groundbreaking because traditionally Nepalese women are expected to remain in their homes where they work endlessly in fields and in the house to support the family.

In addition to the work imbalance, women are rarely given the opportunity to receive a proper education and are sometimes subject to domestic abuse.

The goal of Empowering Women of Nepal is to offer skilled training that will encourage the development of self-sufficient, independent, ambitious young women. It is the hope that these women can serve as examples to others seeking greater opportunities in Nepal and to eventually change the societal expectations.

In response to a question about the male guides’ first impression, one Three Sisters guide notes, “At first they think, ‘Oh it’s not your job’ and are uncomfortable with me. They are surprised when I tell them I can lead tours. Ten years ago they did not want to see females doing these jobs. Some men were jealous of our work, but nowadays things have gotten better and better.”

Not only are these traineeships providing women with the tools they need to succeed but they are proving to men, and society as a whole, that they are capable of achieving everything men can.

Three Sisters background
Founded in 1994, Three Sisters is a women-owned, led, and supported trekking company in the Everest/Annapurna region of Nepal. Their goal is to eliminate the social barriers that prevent Nepalese women from accomplishing their dreams.