KATHMANDU, MARCH 17
Zonta Club Kathmandu celebrated International Women's Day as Yellow Rose Day, recognizing the extraordinary achievements of women who have made a lasting impact in their respective fields on Sunday. The event honored women who continue to inspire young girls and women to pursue their dreams.
Bina Rana, President of Zonta Club Kathmandu, highlighted the significance of the event, stating, "Yellow Rose Day is a celebration of resilience, leadership, and the relentless pursuit of gender equity. In line with this year's IWD's Campaign theme #AccelerateAction, today we honor extraordinary women in Nepal who have broken barriers, challenged norms, and inspired change in their homes, workplace and communities. Their contributions remind us that progress is possible and when we recognize and uplift them it inspires others towards accelerating their actions."
This year's honorees included recipients of the Unsung Heroes Award: Bivisha Mathema Shrestha, Binita Adhikari, Sunita Chidimar, and Arika Gurung. Shyam Badan Shrestha was awarded the prestigious Princess Helen Shah Inspirational Woman of the Year, while Palesha Goverdhan received the Amar Rana Game Changer Award.
Scholarships were also awarded to outstanding women in various fields. Ankita Bhattarai received the Indrakala Scholarship for Women in Aerospace (2025), Oshika Shrestha was awarded the Jyoti Scholarship for Women in Business (2025), Anupa Baral received the Jyoti Scholarship for Women in STEM, and Smriti Kunwar was honored with the Indrakala Scholarship for Young Women in Public Affairs.
The Leadership in Media Award recognized three distinguished women editors for their contributions to journalism and advocacy: Babita Basnet for Gender and Social Inclusion, Sonila Awale for Climate Change, and Charu Chadha for Business and Finance.
This year's International Women's Day theme, "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment," emphasized the need for collective action to ensure equal rights, power, and opportunities for all women and girls. The theme highlighted the importance of empowering youth-particularly young women and adolescent girls-as key drivers of a future where no one is left behind.
Through these awards, Zonta Club Kathmandu reaffirmed its commitment to building a better world for women and girls, the organizer said.
