Tharu Women Upliftment Centre (TWUC) is an Indigenous women-led organization based in Bardiya, Nepal that advances the rights, livelihoods, and leadership of Tharu women and communities based in Gulariya, Bardiya, TWUC connects women’s empowerment with practical action on climate-resilient agriculture, local organization, and community development.

TWUC’s renewable energy work highlights how Indigenous women are shaping just and sustainable energy transitions in their own territories. TWUC ‘s initiatives include fully installed solar irrigation pumps by women technicians, with 25 women trained on solar irrigation pump installation.

TWUC’s community work also includes improved cooking solutions and environmental stewardship. Around 500 improved cookstoves were installed and that 500 women were oriented on afforestation and forest management, showing an integrated approach that combines clean energy, reduced household fuel burdens, and care for local ecosystems.

TWUC is recognized in Nepal for community-based work that supports women’s empowerment and sustainable livelihoods in Bardiya.This broader institutional role helps explain why TWUC’s renewable energy initiatives matter: they are not isolated technology projects, but part of a wider Indigenous women-led effort to strengthen food security, reduce dependence on polluting energy sources, and build local leadership.

For the Indigenous Peoples Renewable Energy Pathfinders webinar series, TWUC offers a compelling example of how Indigenous women move from participation to power in the energy transition Their experience shows that renewable energy can be most transformative when communities, especially Indigenous women and youth, are not treated as beneficiaries alone but as technicians, organizers, and decision-makers.

Join us on the 29th May 2026 from 5PM Nepal  |  7:15PM  Manila  |  2:15PM EAT | 7:15 New York through the following registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2eKqbpdOQgugThuAdeEUPA