A child labor survivor now human rights advocate, Sumitra stood before the United Nations (UN) House in Kathmandu’s audience not merely as an attendee but as a leader.

 

She spoke at this August’s Nepal Youth Summit, a platform designed to amplify young voices and address issues like education, mental health, gender equality, and decent work—topics often shaped without meaningful youth input.

Sumitra’s path to the UN stage began under the care of GoodWeave. Forced to work in a carpet factory due to her family’s financial constraints, she lacked the opportunity to attend school. When a GoodWeave inspector intervened and removed her from the factory, Sumitra enrolled in the educational programs that would build her confidence and skills. Over time, she found her voice as a social justice advocate, dedicated to championing the rights of vulnerable individuals, especially girls, who share her experiences.

 

These personal transformations illustrate why events like the Nepal Youth Summit matter. Around the world, youth participation in policymaking remains limited, with girls, and individuals from the Global South facing additional barriers to inclusion in advocacy events.

 

The Nepal Youth Summit addressed gender imbalance, placing young women like Sumitra at the center of dialogue and solution-building. According to the UN’s Development Program’s Youth Strategy 2014-2017: Empowered Youth, Sustainable Future, a strategic framework guiding youth development efforts, young girls and women face systemic inequalities in various spheres, including education, culture, politics, and the labor market, which in turn limit their opportunities and reinforce disparities. They also encounter barriers to accessing health services and equitable treatment in their family. Empowering women empowers entire communities. The Youth Strategy highlights how training, education, and skill-building opportunities reduce poverty, improves health and hygiene, and decreases community violence.¹

The summit provided a platform for youth to voice concerns but also channels them into tangible policy solutions. It ensures that suggestions made during workshops—such as recommendations for advancing gender equality and girls’ empowerment, improving health (including mental health and sexual and reproductive health and rights), and expanding access to education—are documented and shared with local government officials and UN representatives.

Sumitra’s journey from child labor survivor to human rights advocate reflects the power of survivor-led advocacy. Her work exemplifies how individuals with lived experience can lead the charge in creating meaningful change, breaking cycles of exploitation, and amplifying the voices of the most vulnerable. GoodWeave’s commitment to supporting child labor survivors like Sumitra goes beyond restoring their freedom. It focuses on equipping them with the tools and platforms to drive systemic change, ensuring their insights and leadership shape policies and practices that protect future generations.

¹ UNDP, Youth Strategy 2014-2017: Empowered Youth, Sustainable Future