Australia Awards South and West Asia

On 23 August 2024, the Women in Leadership Network in Nepal organised an interactive event on ‘Bridging the gender gap: Male allies for gender equality’ in Kathmandu. The event brought together more than 50 alums to share their insights on the importance of male allyship to combat gender discrimination.

Welcoming the participants to the event, Kavitha Kasynathan, Head of Development at the Australian Embassy in Nepal, highlighted the significant roles that men and boys can play to address gender inequality. Referring to studies that show a positive perception of allyship among women in terms of their empowerment, Ms Kasynathan said, “When men act, it can make a substantial impact.” She also urged attendees to note that, “Being a good male ally requires a particular outlook. Allyship is not about rescuing. This is not doing things ‘for’ somebody. This is doing things ‘with’—to think about how to do things collaboratively.”

The event featured a panel of four experts discussing the topic of male allyship. These panellists represented public, private and civil society organisations. Dr Sindhu Dhungana, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Forests and Environment, emphasised the importance of action rather than words to produce tangible results from the concept of male allyship for gender equality. Likewise, gender, diversity and social inclusion expert Dibya Gurung appealed to attendees to consider why men are not adequately engaged in bridging the gender gap. She asked the audience to think about whether men perceive the gender dialogue and discourse negatively, as if they are being targeted. She further added that male allies could be instrumental in correcting such wrong perceptions.

Panellists (left to right): Nirmala Maharjan, Khem Lakai, Dibya Gurung, Dr Sindhu Dhungana and moderator Dr Dhiraj Pradhananga.

Similarly, Khem Lakai, Founder and CEO of Global Academy of Tourism and Hospitality Education (GATE) College, highlighted the importance to gender equality of investing in women’s economic freedom. GATE College has trained more than 9,000 people, 40% of them women. Reflecting on his experience of leading this institute, he shared that gender equality should be intrinsic to academia. Nirmala Maharjan, a women’s rights activist and development professional, welcomed the idea of male allyship—a relatively new concept in discussions around gender—and expressed her hope that the allyship would help bring about structural changes.

After the panel discussion, moderator Dr Dhiraj Pradhananga invited the attendees to share their reflections and insights on how alums could promote male allyship for gender equality. Audience members actively took part in the discussion, sharing diverse ideas and suggestions. Madhu Shahi, an alum, reflecting on the fact that her uncle’s support meant that her cousin did not have to follow the customary practice of untouchability during her menstruation, shared that “Allyship must start right from family.” Likewise, alum Shudarson Subedi expressed the view that male allyship is even more crucial for women with disability because they are discriminated against both as women and as people with disability.

Participants engaging at the event.

The event was part of the action plan developed by alums who recently participated in the 2024 Regional Alumni Workshop in Bhutan, organised by Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia. Alums Dr Sujata Tamang, Dr Dhiraj Pradhananga, Hema Bhatt, Anju Pandit and Sujeena Shakya from Nepal participated in the Regional Alumni Workshop, which had the theme of ‘Bridging the gender gap and supporting local women leaders’. The allyship event was an effective way to multiply the impact of the Workshop.