Nepal Telecommunications Authority, being the regulator of telecom sector of the nation, has been responsible for providing connectivity throughout the nation through number of telecom service licenses and the Rural Telecommunications Development Fund being utilized for the connectivity of unconnected people of rural and remote areas. The authority has been working for providing backbone connectivity and access to communities and government schools to bridge the digital divide. Several telecentres and community service centres for ICT access have been established by the authority to connect unconnected people. Also more than one thousand IT labs are being established in government schools for ICT education. The authority has contributed in providing competitive 4G services throughout the nation for mobile broadband connected to ensure that no citizen is left behind with telecom service. While providing access to ICT to bridge the digital divide in the nation, the authority has also been bringing out activities to address the Gender Digital Divide.

https://www.nta.gov.np

• Nepal (Republic of)

• Youth
• Women

This work has been replicated and scaled by several Girls in ICT stakeholders in Nepal. Today many Girls in ICT events are happening in the nation in the form of awareness, trainings, workshops, seminars, conferences, contests, hackathons etc. The participants of the events have become ICT startups, enterpreneurs, ICT leaders etc and have served as role models in several Girls in ICT events in Nepal. Some of the particiapnats have even established International chapers in nepal for empowering more girls in ICT. Many virtual events related to Girls in ICT are happening in this pandemic this year to mark every day as Girls in ICT day. The Girls in ICT initiative of NTA has really been replicated and scaled to outreach more number of girls in the nation.

The authority has been carrying out several Girls in ICT activities through out the country since 2012. The authority has provided many girls a platform for promoting ICT tools for girls, advocacy for gender digital divide, ICT skills, contests, Hackathons, Magazine publication, workshops, conferences, seminars, awards in co-ordination with several partner organisations within Nepal. The Girls in ICT initiative of the authority has brought remarkable change in connecting unconnected girls and women of the nation with several efforts.

Participating in the girls in ICT events of this initiative have brought significant changes with growing number of girls led start-ups, enterpreneurs, leaders, international chapters, role models, motivational speakers etc. The initiative also awarded winners of contests, pioneer women in ICT and institutions having significant efforts in promoting girls and women in ICT. More virtual events to address gender digital divide have been organised even in this pandemic.