Unlocking Climate Finance for Women-Led Enterprises in Nepal: Ground-level Insights 2022

The report identifies systemic constraints for women-led enterprises (WLEs) in Nepal, particularly in agriculture and forestry, where 70% of women are employed. A survey of 200 WLEs reveals that 65% have been affected by climate shocks, yet 88% rely on personal savings due to collateral gaps and misaligned financial products. While Nepal has a GESI-responsive climate policy framework, implementation gaps persist, with climate finance often remaining gender-neutral. The brief recommends tailored capacity building, the introduction of parametric insurance-linked credit, and the strengthening of women's enterprise associations to bridge the financing gap.

• Women-led enterprises (WLEs) in Nepal's agriculture and forestry sectors are critical for rural livelihoods, with approximately 70% of Nepali women working in agriculture as primary stewards of ecosystems.
• Nepal faces a substantial climate financing gap, estimated at USD 6.7 billion per annum by 2035 according to its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0).
• A survey of 200 WLEs across 40 districts shows that 65% have been affected by climate shocks, but only 37% of those affected felt adequately prepared.
• Access to formal finance is severely limited for WLEs; 88% rely on personal savings, and 55% of surveyed WLEs have never applied for a loan due to barriers like collateral gaps and procedural complexity.
• Gender-specific structural barriers hinder growth, including limited asset ownership (39% of surveyed women reported a lack of asset ownership) and the 'double burden' of household care and business responsibilities.
• Market access is a major constraint, with over 70% of WLEs depending on local and community-based markets, limiting their ability to scale.
• Despite a policy framework that integrates gender, equality, and social inclusion (GESI), climate finance in Nepal has largely been gender-neutral, and women are often treated as beneficiaries rather than economic agents.
• Community-based financial institutions are the preferred source of finance for WLEs; approximately 90% of surveyed WLEs prefer Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) despite higher interest rates of 11–17%.

APA

Mitra, D., Gupta, M., Trivedi, S., Bohara, M., Bhandari, K. P., Maskey, G., Acharya, S., & Regmi, S. (2026). Unlocking Climate Finance for Women-Led Enterprises in Nepal: Ground-level Insights 2022. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Unlocking-Climate-Finance-for-WLES-in-Nepal.pdf

Chicago

Mitra, Debal, Manika Gupta, Shiven Trivedi, Meena Bohara, Kamal Prasad Bhandari, Gyanu Maskey, Sushant Acharya, and Sajjan Regmi. Unlocking Climate Finance for Women-Led Enterprises in Nepal: Ground-level Insights 2022. Climate Policy Initiative, 2026. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Unlocking-Climate-Finance-for-WLES-in-Nepal.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{mitra2026unlocking, author = {Mitra, Debal and Gupta, Manika and Trivedi, Shiven and Bohara, Meena and Bhandari, Kamal Prasad and Maskey, Gyanu and Acharya, Sushant and Regmi, Sajjan}, title = {{Unlocking Climate Finance for Women-Led Enterprises in Nepal: Ground-level Insights 2022}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Unlocking-Climate-Finance-for-WLES-in-Nepal.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }