Taiwan social entrepreneur Lin Nien-tzu—founder of Nepal-based Dharti Mata Sustainable Workshop—is featured in this year’s BBC 100 Women, a list compiled by the British broadcaster of the most influential and inspirational women in the world.
The 34-year-old established the workshop in rural Patalekhet village of Kavrepalanchok District in 2013 with the goal of helping Nepalese women break the stigma around periods. It produces clean and affordable cloth sanitary pads, providing locals with skills training and job opportunities.
Lin set up the workshop after visiting rural Nepalese villages and learning about the discrimination suffered by women during menstruation. In April, the South Asian country enacted a law criminalizing the practice of banishing women to huts during their periods.
According to Lin, the workshop strives to tackle the lack of knowledge about feminine hygiene in villages. The facility also aims to empower women in marginalized communities by encouraging them to address social stigmas and enter the workforce, she said.
The BBC’s annual 100 women project is now in its fifth year. For 2017, participants are taking part in the 100 Women Challenge, a platform for sharing experiences and devising innovative methods to tackle four major issues—the glass ceiling, female illiteracy, sexual harassment and sexism in sport.
In September, the broadcaster identified 60 women, 15 for each group, with the further 40 spots to be filled by women who have developed solutions in the key issue areas. On Oct. 13, the BBC named a first batch of 20 additions to the list, including Lin, with the final group to be selected later in the year.
Lin was included under Team Read, which focuses on female illiteracy, for her efforts to foster education and empowerment. Other prominent figures on the 2017 list include Michelle Bachelet, president of Chile, Amy Cuddy, a best-selling author and social psychologist at Harvard University, Mithali Raj, captain of India’s cricket team, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia, and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. (CPY-E)
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