Women Leading the Honey and Beekeeping Industry are honored

Lalitpur — Women entrepreneurs involved in Nepal’s honey and beekeeping industry were honored on Tuesday for their leadership, innovation, and contribution to the sector. The recognition was presented during the “Women in Honey Industry: Dialogue and Exhibition” program held in Lalitpur, where women entrepreneurs from all seven provinces were awarded.

The event was organized under the Global Market Access Programme (GMAP), supported by UNIDO and the Government of Norway, in collaboration with the Centre for Industrial Entomology Development and the Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs’ Associations of Nepal.

The program marked the first global observance of the International Day of Women in Industry, recognizing women’s leadership, innovation, and contribution across industrial sectors worldwide.

Women entrepreneurs from all seven provinces were honored for their contribution to Nepal’s honey sector. The event also highlighted the growing role of honey and beekeeping in rural livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and income generation for smallholder farmers.

Women across Nepal are actively involved in beekeeping, processing, packaging, and marketing of honey and honey-based products. However, many still face challenges related to market access, financial support, business visibility, networking, and enterprise growth.

The program emphasized the need for stronger policies to support women-led honey businesses, including women-friendly machinery, better packaging, improved hygiene, branding, market access, and stronger industry connections.