In a place where ‘choice’ for many women is defined as either marrying young or being sold to a man in India, this Nepali social enterprise is helping young women demand more.

The air is heavy with clove and cardamom, a sure sign that sweet masala tea is on the boil. To my left, ginger is being ground to dust by a five-foot Nepali woman and to my right, a single pot, on an impeccably clean stove top, looks dangerously close to overflowing.

“Quick! Quick! It’s growing as tall as Mount Everest!” an aproned lady cries as she shoves a wooden spoon in my hand, motioning for me to stir the pot’s contents. Inside is a mountain of bubbling rice pudding: A literal melting pot of thick coconut milk, basmati grains and lashings of love. You see, I’m at the Seven Women center, an NGO based out of Kathmandu, where women’s empowerment is served hot, delicious, and for everyone to share.