Informal Networking Meeting for Early/Mid-Career Female Researchers in Global Mental and Behavioral Health Research

Nepal Mental Health Research Network (NMHRN) successfully conducted the second annual in-person networking event in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2023, Thursday. This event was a part of the capacity-building initiative of the RESHAPE project facilitated by TPO Nepal and George Washington University. The event was an intimate, invitees-only networking opportunity for women working on mental and behavioral health in Nepal, which was also a platform for women to get together and know each other better in order to foster collaboration and networking through shared interests or goals. The event’s aim was to continue dialogue on the status of women in global mental health, as well as to build and foster networking and collaboration among early and mid-career female mental and behavioral health researchers and female individuals with lived experiences. 

A total of 25 participants from diverse backgrounds like Psychology, Public Health, Social Work, and MBBS were present at the event. The faculty members from Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) were also present. A presentation video on ‘Gender inequality in the global mental health research workforce’ was shown, followed by an informal networking event. Participants were given space to connect with each other, which they found more engaging and comfortable, to develop connections and networks among females from diverse backgrounds.