Shattering Menstrual Shame in Nepal

As 2018 comes to a close, we take pause to embrace what was accomplished this year, and to set our eyes on what lies ahead. With your support, Days for Girls was able to reach more than 5,700 women and girls with DfG Kits and women's health education in Kalikot District. More than 83 events were held throughout the district to teach women's health, faciliate discussions around positive coming of age practices, and bring generations together to celebrate the beauty in menstrual health! With a challenging terrain that often requires hours by foot, the training team of Days for Girls Nepal went the extra mile to ensure that your contribution made a meaningful and lasting impact.

And there are no signs of slowing down. In 2019, Days for Girls Nepal and Days for Girls International are excited to work more closely with a local Kalikot-based organization, the Oda Foundation, to nearly triple our impact. Yes, you read that right! The team is already hard at work preparing follow up evaluation surveys for those who received initial distributions and education, as well as coordinating with local communities to set plans in motion for more girls and women reached in the coming year. It's an audacious goal, but with your support and the tireless dedication of trainers in Kalikot district, we can do this!

Singing songs. Hosting debates. Leading interactive quizzes. These are just a few of the creative ways the DfG Nepal team has dreamt up to help shatter stigmas around menstruation in rural Nepal. The traditional practice of Chhaupadi — where girls and women are isolated in small huts during menstruation — continues on in Kalikot district despite being illegal on a national level. While many families recognize the risks of this practice, changing long-held and socially normal practices is not an easy feat.

That’s why the local women leading this charge are perfectly positioned to implement the program. They are using other beautiful cultural practices, such as deudas (traditional songs) to introduce taboo topics around menstruation, and spark vibrant discussions.

Thanks to the support of the GlobalGiving community, The Oda Foundation, and other committed partners, the DfG Nepal team has been able to reach more than 3,923 girls and women so far, and they show no signs of slowing down! And those are just the women and girls that are directly involved in programming. Because so many of their interventions are open to the public, such as the girls’ debate competition, they have been able to indirectly impact more than 2,500 community members. In a place where menstruation has been so silent that women must be banished from their daily lives, the sweet words and melodies of the menstruation-themed deudas are finally shattering through!