September 10: The 20th Annual General Meeting and the 9th Congress of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs has unanimously elected a 27-member executive committee . Shobha Gyawali has been elected as the president of FWEAN, Darshana Shrestha as the first vice president, Sunita Vaidya Shrestha as the second vice president, Basanti Pradhan as the third vice president and Mahalakshmi Shrestha as the fourth vice president by the AGM held on Friday

Similarly, Kunnam Pokharel has been elected as the general secretary, Sumitra Palanchoke as the secretary and Sabita Subedi as the treasurer. Since its inception, the Federation has been advocating for the capacity building and professional counseling for the economic empowerment of women across the country. The federation was established in 2060.

Chief guest of the program was Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ramesh Rijal and special guest was Member of the House of Representatives Rekha Yadav. In addition, the secretaries of the relevant ministries and departments working on women and entrepreneurship development were present on the occasion.

Speaking at the inauguration, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Rijal said that the contribution made by the federation in the field of entrepreneurship development is unparalleled. He also expressed the government’s commitment to support every program of the federation.

The AGM also discussed and passed the financial report of the fiscal year 2079-80. Similarly, details were presented about the activities conducted by the federation as well as the activities and achievements of the various committees and sub-committees of FWEAN.

On the occasion of entering its 20th year of establishment, the Federation aims to organize various programs. The Federation has plans to launch a special edition of the Entrepreneur magazine for the twentieth year, publish brand souvenirs, organize a peace rally, increase the access of women entrepreneurs to various services of the Business Development Center, and continue the existing projects.

The Federation also awarded the 'Best District Association Award' for working in the interests of women entrepreneurs, according to which Kaski Women Entrepreneurs Association received the first prize, Banke Women Entrepreneurs Association second, Morang Women Entrepreneurs Association third and Solukhumbu Women Entrepreneurs Association received the consolation prize and certificate.

Similarly, the Federation handed over the 'Outstanding Member Award' to Alpana Rajbhandari Pradhan, while the 'Outstanding Staff Award' has been given to Ramola Satham.

A workshop on 'Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency' was held on the occasion of the General Assembly and the Congress. On the first day of the two-day workshop, there was a discussion on the inclusion of economic issues by women entrepreneurs in the 16th National Plan being prepared by the government. The newly elected president Gyawali informed that the conclusion of the discussion has been prepared to be handed over to the government.