02/07/2026
Ujyalo Foundation successfully organized the One Day Feminist Conference (OFC) 2026 on 27 June 2026 in partnership with Tewa - Women's Fund of Nepal, Pourakhi Nepal, Dalit with Disability Association Nepal - DDAN, Shramik Sanjal, Burns Violence Survivors Nepal BVS-Nepal, Accountability Lab Nepal, Dignity Initiative, Dalit Lives Matter, Global Resource Action for Community Empowerment - GRACE Nepal, and Purple Foundation.
Celebrating a decade of feminist dialogue and movement building, OFC 2026 brought together 123 participants from government institutions, civil society, academia, development partners, media, grassroots movements, and youth networks under the theme "Invisible No More: Care Work, Domestic Labor, and Migration."
The conference opened with a welcome address by our Founder and Executive Director, Ms. Amuda Mishra, who reflected on OFC's ten-year journey as a national platform amplifying diverse feminist voices, nurturing solidarity, and creating space for collective learning and advocacy.
Our keynote speaker, Ms. Sharu Joshi, Gender and Labor Migration Expert, highlighted the interconnected realities of care work, domestic labor, and migration through the feminist framework of the 5Rs of Care: Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward, and Represent, calling for stronger public investment, social protection systems, and policy reforms.
The opening plenary, "Invisible No More: The Care Chain Conversation," featured:
- Manju Gurung, Pourakhi Nepal
- Kripa Basnyat, ILO
- Hon. Ganesh B.K., Member of Parliament
- Arjun Bhandari, National Planning Commission
Moderated by
- Krishna Gahatraj, DDAN.
The discussion explored unpaid care work, the experiences of migrant and domestic workers, structural inequalities affecting women and marginalized communities, updates on Nepal's draft National Care Policy, and the recognition of persons with disabilities as both caregivers and active contributors within care systems.
The conference also featured four engaging parallel sessions:
Migration, Recovery, and Justice: Care in Times of Crisis – facilitated by Accountability Lab Nepal
Turning Pain into Purpose: Journey of Burn Survivors – led by Burns Violence Survivors Nepal BVS-Nepal
Stories We Carry – facilitated by Dalit Lives Matter, exploring intersections of caste, gender, and migration through storytelling
From Necessity to Choice? Rethinking Women's Labor Migration – led by Shramik Sanjal, examining the structural realities shaping women's migration decisions to Gulf countries.
Participants also joined interactive side events and activities, including:
Who Belongs? Caste, Power, and Feminist Movements – facilitated by Amuda Mishra, Executive Director of Ujyalo Foundation
Reclaiming Our Stories: Feminist Writing as Resistance – facilitated by Nirvana Bhandari
Interactive activities: Fact Check on Care Work and Migration, Check Your Privilege, and Suspend Your Belief, encouraging critical reflection on dominant narratives, social biases, and systems of power and exclusion.
The closing plenary on Strengthening Social Protection and Policy Responses featured:
-Dr. Ram Phuyal, Former Member, National Planning Commission
-Goma Bhandari, Domestic Workers Women Network
-Dwarika Thebe, Indigenous Economist and Researcher
-Sangita Ojha, Social Security Fund and Joint Secretary, Government of Nepal
Moderated by
-Sirjana Kafle, Executive Director of Purple Foundation.
The session emphasized expanding social security coverage for informal workers, strengthening labor protections, and developing inclusive policies that ensure dignity, protection, and equitable employer-worker relationships.
The conference concluded with the felicitation of our partners and supporters, followed by closing remarks from Keshu Khadka, Board Member of Ujyalo Foundation, who reminded us that care work can no longer remain invisible and that recognizing, valuing, and investing in care work is essential to building a just, inclusive, and equitable society.
Thank you to all our speakers, partners, participants, volunteers, team, and supporters for making One Day Feminist Conference a meaningful space for dialogue, solidarity, and collective action.
