Shattering Menstrual Shame in Nepal

June, 2026

Dear GlobalGiving Community,

Thank you for your continued support of Days for Girls Nepal. Because of your generosity, we are continuing to strengthen menstrual health education across Nepal, not only by reaching women and girls with education and washable menstrual products, but also by investing in the educators, partners, and local teams who will sustain this work for years to come.

This year began with an important milestone in Janakpur, where Days for Girls trained 19 new menstrual health educators 14 women and 5 men). Through interactive sessions, participants strengthened their knowledge, facilitation skills, and confidence to deliver accurate, age-appropriate menstrual health education within their own communities.

Alongside training new educators, we have continued our long-term programming in Kailali, working closely with local governments, schools, and community stakeholders. Meetings were held throughout Godawari, Chisipani, Lamki, and Khimadi to reflect on the successes and lessons learned from previous programming and to collaboratively design activities for 2026–2027. These discussions included demonstrations of Days for Girls' Ambassador of Women's Health curriculum and reinforced our shared commitment to creating lasting, community-led change.

While planning for the future, our team has continued delivering direct support today. Across communities in Kailali, including Khimadi, Days for Girls has been providing menstrual health education alongside distributions of locally produced Days for Girls Kits to schoolgirls and women. By combining practical education with washable menstrual products, participants are equipped not only with the resources they need to manage menstruation safely and confidently, but also with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their health.

In May, we also joined partners across the country in celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Day through the Nepal Menstrual Health Alliance. The event highlighted the importance of collective action to ensure menstrual health remains a national priority and provided another opportunity to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and strengthen collaboration across the sector.

An equally important focus this year has been investing in the capacity of the Days for Girls Nepal team. During a recent visit from Days for Girls International's Chief Programs Officer, Leyla Isin-Xiong, staff and interns participated in a series of professional development workshops designed to strengthen program quality and impact.

The team completed a menstrual health refresher training, reinforcing knowledge and confidence in delivering education across Nepal. They also participated in Days for Girls' Postpartum Care Educator Training, where rich discussion and personal storytelling deepened participants' understanding of postpartum health. Staff, interns, and local seamstresses shared lived experiences that brought the curriculum to life and encouraged meaningful conversations around postpartum recovery, including greater awareness of maternal mental health.

To further strengthen program quality, the team also completed Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation refresher training led by Days for Girls' Associate Director of Impact and Learning, Joanita Nuwagba. The training focused on strengthening data collection, data quality, and focus group facilitation, ensuring that future programming continues to be informed by high-quality evidence and participant feedback.

These investments in local leadership, technical capacity, and community partnerships are laying the foundation for even greater impact in the years ahead. Every educator trained, every partnership strengthened, and every menstrual health session delivered helps create communities where girls and women can manage menstruation with dignity, confidence, and support.

Thank you for helping make this work possible! Your generosity continues to build not only healthier communities today, but stronger local systems that will sustain menstrual health education and access for years to come.

With gratitude,

The Days for Girls Team

Dear GlobalGiving Community,

Because of your generous support, Days for Girls Nepal continues to expand access to comprehensive menstrual health education and washable menstrual products across diverse communities.

Through a holistic Period Positive Schools approach, 6,051 people were reached in 2025, including 5,897 schoolgirls and women, as well as members of their families and surrounding communities. Importantly, 144 schoolboys and men were also engaged, fostering shared responsibility for menstrual health and helping reduce stigma at the household and community levels.

Activities were implemented across Kailali, Mahottari, Sindhuli, Dhankuta, Dhanusha, Bajura, and Pokhara, expanding the program’s reach across varied geographic and cultural contexts. Alongside education sessions, 5,897 locally produced, washable Days for Girls Kits were distributed, ensuring participants could immediately apply what they learned with dignity and confidence.

Participants consistently shared how access to washable Kits has changed their daily lives:

“I like the DfG pad because it's comfortable, leakage-free and easy to use while travelling or going to school.”

“The DfG pad makes it easier to walk and perform daily chores without any fear.”

“Because it is reusable, it helps in keeping the environment clean.”

Education sessions were equally impactful. Many participants expressed gratitude and a desire to share what they learned:

“I'm very grateful for the training. I have learned a lot and I will share this with my family and community members.”

“We want this training to be conducted next year too.”

Beyond individual stories, monitoring, learning, and evaluation (MLE) results demonstrate measurable shifts in attitudes. At pre-test, only 48.76% of participants agreed that menstruation is a natural sign of being a healthy woman; at follow-up, this rose to 84.34%. Similarly, 79.33% of participants initially believed it was acceptable to tease a girl when she is menstruating. After the sessions, that figure dropped dramatically to 26.51%. These results reflect significant progress in challenging stigma and strengthening community understanding of menstrual health.

Your support also helped strengthen long-term systems change. Through a KOICA-supported Training of Trainers (ToT), Days for Girls Nepal invested in building local leadership and technical capacity to deliver menstrual health education at scale. Last May, seven teachers were trained to independently deliver menstrual health education within their schools—ensuring the message and impact continue beyond the project period. In addition, the School Technical Education Programme further reinforced sustainable integration of menstrual health education into school systems.

DfG Nepal also advanced awareness and advocacy at the national level. A key milestone was the National Menstrual Health Product Standard & Stakeholder Engagement Conference, which convened government representatives, practitioners, and sector stakeholders to strengthen dialogue on product standards, quality assurance, and coordination. This convening elevated menstrual health as a shared public health and policy priority and laid groundwork for stronger national systems.

Because of you, menstrual health in Nepal is becoming not only better understood, but more openly discussed, more confidently managed, and more fully integrated into schools and communities. Thank you for helping create environments where girls, women, and their communities can thrive with dignity.

With deep gratitude,

The Days for Girls Team

Links:

• Check Out DfG Nepal on Facebook!
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• PDF Report (PDF)