KATHMANDU: As a part of the International Women's Day and celebration of women throughout the month of March, Bottler's Nepal Limited (BNL) — the authorised bottlers of Coca-Cola in Nepal — will be continuing its Shopkeepers Training and Resources (STAR) programme. It will facilitate personal interactions between successful and established women entrepreneurs with women retailers, particularly for this month, according to a press release issued by BNL.

In Nepal, BNL sales team explores market in search of retailers who need training, and women attend sessions that are a part of Coca-Cola's global '5by20 initiative' to empower them, the statement mentioned.

The Coca-Cola Company is committed to economic empowerment of five million women by 2020. As a part of this initiative, it works with retailers and distributors, focusing on refining business goals and personal skills for women at work. Globally, more than 1.2 million women have benefited from this programme.

"5by20 has touched the lives of many women retailers, giving hope to female retailers that their businesses can be profitable, no matter the size. The Coca-Cola system works closely with the women, not only to build business skills but also to give women the confidence and encouragement to dream bigger," as per Puneet Varshney, Managing Director of BNL.

One such woman is Radha Subedi — she has been running Samip Store, an outlet in Balaju, for the last five years. Last year she attended one of the STAR programmes that "helped me understand fundamental business skills to transform my stagnating business into a stable one", the statement quoted Subedi as saying.

Till date, more than 3,000 women retailers have been trained so far under this initiative; with a target of 10,000 by 2020, the release added.

According to Jackie Duff, Strategic Programme Director of The Coca-Cola Company's Women's Economic Empowerment Programmes, "These women are learning the basics of how to run a business, cash flow, merchandising, stocking, safety, et cetera. Some of these issues help them grow their businesses."