Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Promoting Girls’ Education in Rural Nepal

Rural Nepali girls face ongoing educational challenges because their communities maintain existing structural barriers and socio-cultural norms and economic obstacles. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have historically filled critical service delivery gaps in this space, yet systematic, multi-district evidence on the effectiveness and sustainability of their interventions remains limited. Hence, the research investigates how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) function to support girls' educational initiatives throughout three rural districts of Nepal which include Doti and Rolpa and Dolakha between 2020 and 2024. The study used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to collect quantitative data through structured questionnaires which 150 female students from NGO supported schools completed and qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with 10 key informants comprising NGO programme officers, school principals, a district education officer, and a community schools federation officer. The study used SPSS and uses reflexive thematic analysis to analyze the interview data. The study shows that girls strongly support NGO programs which use scholarships and financial assistance. Similarly, Girls' clubs were the most commonly accessed intervention (44.7%), while scholarships reached only 23.3% of respondents. The two strongest obstacles represent household poverty which people assessed at 3.52% and travel distance which people assessed at 3.29. The study reveals that better government cooperation and longer running times and more active involvement from beneficiaries to establish fair educational access for rural girls.