Shattering Menstrual Shame in Nepal

“It is the right of women all over the globe to be allowed to integrate into their society. In order to change this, it is important to change the practice of chhaupadi,” states Lila, the Days for Girls Kalikot Project Manager as she  smiles proudly.

At the core of the Shattering the Shame Project supported by you is an emphasis on developing local leadership. Leaders like Lila who, together with her strong team of eight local women, are working to change the narrative about menstruation. Through women’s circles, health training, community awareness campaigns, and meetings with local leaders, the Kalikot Trainers are shifting the way their community sees menstruation.

This has not been an easy jog.  The Kalikot Trainers hike DfG Kits into some of the most remote hills of mid-Western Nepal, to reach communities that are often left behind and forgotten. For many women and girls, the Kalikot Trainers present the first formal training on menstrual and reproductive health that their community has ever seen. During follow-up visits this spring, women voiced their gratitude to the local leaders and your support. They told stories about being able to stay in school during menstruation, start conversations with their families about menstruation and chhaupadi, and newfound feelings of pride about being female.

Shukla, a DfG Trainer from Sipkhana, started with the Shattering the Shame Project early on and over the course of her time with Days for Girls, she has transformed into a confident and powerful leader in her community.

“Days for Girls have brought a lot of changes in my life…. health training and kit distribution for menstruation management can bring a huge change in rural places like ours. I want to thank Days for Girls because they have given me this opportunity to work as trainer in very young age, which I can utilize all my life.”

Thanks to your support, the Shattering the Shame Project will be able to mobilize local leaders to change the narrative about menstruation from shame to celebration. These local leaders are ready to charge ahead. And we can’t wait to see what they accomplish!

Links:

• Turning Periods into Pathways -- Kalikot Project Spotlight