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Biography

Short summary of your background:

I am the founder of Empowering Women of Nepal, a non-governmental organization established in 1999, and 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking, a trekking agency specialized in providing female trekking guides in the Himalayas.

Empowering Women of Nepal & 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking work in partnership to promote and empower Nepali women through Adventure Tourism. Together they combine a practical skill-based training program with gainful employment opportunities, specifically focused on the trekking industry. Responding to the gross inequality of women in Nepal, EWN offers unprecedented opportunities for Nepali women to improve their quality of life.

Lucky Chhetri is a regular speaker at (inter)national seminars and workshops on the topic of women's empowerment. She along with EWN and 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking has been featured in (inter)national documentaries, and their story has been published and aired by many media worldwide.

What inspired you to take this initiative?

While working for an NGO, I visited west Nepal in 1986 and was exposed to the hardships faced by rural women in a harsh, cruel environment where people were barely surviving. The area had no infrastructure and no alternative economic sources. I longed to do something to support them. Later I attended the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute’s program which changed my life. Running a guesthouse in Pokhara (1993-1994) with my sisters, we often heard of harassment by male guides and porters. Learning about my mountaineering training, female travelers began to ask us to guide them in the Himalayas. This inspired us to start a women's trekking guide service, 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking (3Sisters), the first of its kind in Nepal in a rather male dominated society and profession. I later established an NGO, Empowering Women of Nepal (EWN), to provide training specifically targeted at women from isolated mountainous regions and to empower them to rise above their situation and become successful. I had found a way to help the women in the poor, isolated communities in mountainous west Nepal.

What is your (future) dream regarding this project?

I want to give as many women as possible the opportunity to become confident, independent, self-supporting women. I want to transform the lives of women in the mountainous communities in west Nepal by giving them the knowledge and skills required to earn a decent living while preserving their culture and environment. I want to see west Nepal become a ecologically responsible tourism destination, helping with poverty alleviation. I want to prepare the way for local communities to take responsibility and initiate their own plans for the future.

What would you like to say to future participants in your project?

I was a weak and sickly child, constantly protected from doing things that I was considered incapable of. I broke away from this when I attended the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute’s program and learned what I was capable of. Every person has its own strengths and talents. Take this opportunity to discover them.