Gender Equality Nepal Project #27792

Support Menstrual Hygiene for 5000 Nepali Girls

A microproject by Village Earth

Project Report | Aug 3, 2017
Project Report for Supporting Menstrual Hygiene

By Ms. Willemien Top | Project Leader

Girls’ health and hygiene is Country’s health and hygiene

Tuesday 25 th and Wednesday 26 th of July two interactive programs on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) have been conducted by ICA Nepal. The above mentioned line was presented by one of the girls group during the group work. Aim was to understand the basic facts linked to the menstrual cycle and how to manage it with dignity and without discomfort or fear. The programs were facilitated by Ms. Yashoda Nepali and Ms. Willemien Top, on behalf of ICA Nepal. Ms. Deepa Lama was also involved in Tuesday’s program. Last mentioned program was given at the Genesis Academy in Bhuwaldanda, Boudha while the program of Wednesday was held in Shantingar, New Baneshwor, both located in Kathmandu. The MHM program was targeted at school girls. At the Genesis Academy the group consisted of 62 girls, aged 11 to 16 years (5 th to 10 th grade). 36 girls from 13 to 16 years old (7th to 10th grade) participated in the program at the Everest Florida School.

As the program was interactive the school girls were encouraged to share their stories in regard to menstruation. By doing this, ICA Nepal hopes to create an environment in which girls feel comfortable to talk about menstruation-related issues. Besides this, a presentation was given aimed to change the (negative) perception of menstruation amongst Nepali people. During the presentation topics as puberty, menstruation (including menstrual cycle), MHM, menstrual management materials, changing places, disposal, effects of carelessness, challenges, stomach pain, period blood, school girls’ role in MHM were covered. Some points school girls came up with during the program are the following:

Use clean sanitary pads.
Dispose sanitary pads properly.
Change sanitary pads from time to time.
If we use clothes at the time of menstruation, we should wash it with soap and clean water and dry it in the sun.
We must create public awareness programs on the Menstrual Cycle.
We should not throw pad here and there so that the environment will be polluted.
We should not belief in superstitious beliefs.
We should conduct many sanitation programs.
It is a natural process. So, no awkward feelings should arise amongst us.
Various misconception like prohibition to go to the kitchen, temples and touching boys should be discouraged.

At the end of the program the ‘Surakshya Club’ (named after the sanitary napkins produced by ICA Nepal) was formed. In this club one representative of every grade is present. The club will function as a core group which will monitor the girls friendliness of the toilets at the school concerned. After one month the schools will be contacted again to check the progress made.This is a great way to put the lessons learned into practice and let school girls take
ownership on their menstrual hygiene. Currently an evaluation program is being developed on behalf of ICA Nepal in order to improve the Menstrual Hygiene Management program. This evaluation will consist of a pre and post evaluation on the efficiency of the program. In this way ICA Nepal is able to learn from their experiences and to adapt the program to the target group.

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Jul 3, 2017
Update on Menstrual Hygiene for Nepali Girls

By Project Leader | Yashoda Nepali and Deepa Lama

We shouldn’t feel ashamed of menstruation because it’s a natural process.
Sanitary pads are more comfortable than old clothes
Sanitary pads should be made available in the schools.
Superstitions regarding menstruation should be abolished.
Each girl should have access to proper menstruation education. It should be provided at an appropriate age.
Proper disposal of pad should be done.
Boys should understand that menstruation is a natural process and stop teasing and making fun of girl. .
Sanitary pads must be changed in an every four to six hours for good health and hygiene.
By performing different types of programs like street dramas, publishing articles etc. we can provide “Menstrual Hygiene Management” knowledge to people.

Above mentioned are some points that were presented by school girls of Glen Buds Secondary School located at Kathmandu Nepal. During the awareness raising workshop we worked with school girls on some of the case studies on menstruation problem. Altogether 40 girls of class VII, VIII, IX and X participated in the workshop conducted by ICA Nepal on 29 June, 2017. The workshop was facilitated by Ms. Pritha, Ms. Yasodha and Ms. Deepa .

The workshop focused on the need of proper menstrual hygiene management, effective disposal of used sanitary napkins, potential health risks associated with it, role of schools and girls themselves in their rights to menstruation hygiene at schools, at homes and at society as whole. At the end of workshop a club named “Surakshya Club” is formed with 6 members. The club will work with school in making arrangement of sanitary napkin at schools, monitors dustbin, water, and cleanliness of toilets and make sure that toilets are girls friendly. Surakshya Sanitary Napkin, locally produced sanitary napkin provided 5 packets of sanitary napkins to the club to start with.

ICA Nepal is conducting various awareness programs to school girls and local women on need of menstruation hygiene management. We would like to thank you all the donors for supporting us to continue our efforts to address this issue. We seek your continuous support to bring lasting change in the society.

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Jun 2, 2017
Progress on supporting menstrual hygiene for girls

By Pritha Khanal | Project Leader

This week, ICA Nepal conducted two programs on Menstrual Hygiene Management with local women from Koteshwor on 25^th May, 2017 and women group from Changunarayan on 30^th May, 2017 respectively. Marking the International Menstruation Hygiene Management Day on 28^th May, 2017, these programs were conducted with the motive on reaching local people and awaring them about menstruation hygiene.

On 25^th May, An Interaction Program on Menstrual Hygiene Management was held among local women of Koteshwor, Kathmandu who were mostly social mobilizers and development workers. Total 35 participants participated in the program which was facilitated by Mr. Upendra Dhakal, who worked in the WASH sector for several years.

The program provided very integrated information on menstruation. Starting from the biological process of menstruation, the stages and cycle of menstruation, the program moved ahead with more focus on managing hygienic behaviors. The methods of managing hygiene while using cloth pads or sanitary pads, importance of maintaining personal hygiene as well making hygienic and female friendly toilets were focused. It was asserted that every women should be accessible to clean sanitary napkin materials, clean changing places, regular water, soap and towel and proper disposing facilities.

Several health risks which can occur in the lack of proper hygiene were also shared by the facilitator. Conditions such as vaginal yeast, pubic lice, infection, itchiness and rashes leading upto ovarian and cervical cancer can happen if the hygiene is not maintained properly.

Similarly, the program focused on various challenges women face during menstruation because of the restricitons imposed by the society. Given how taboo is menstruation in eastern societies, there is no proper environment for women to share about their problems easily.

“I was 13 years old when I got my first period. My mother wasn’t at home so I ran away to jungle. I belong to Bajura where i had to stay in Chhaupadi. For coming three years, I experienced Chhaupdi where I had to bath at early 3 am before sun rise”

The program ended with informing participants about some disposing methods of santary materials. Some of the methods are: Burning, Burying, Incinerating and Vermi-composting.

ICA Nepal is planning intensively for taking such programs in various other schools and communities now which we’ll be updating regularly. We would like to heartily thank you all for your donations which made these programs possible. Meanwhile, do continue supporting us. Our new link for fundraising is: https://www.globalgiving.org/microprojects/support-nepali-girls/

The program on 30^th May, 2017 was an Interaction Program on Menstrual Hygiene Management which was conducted among local women of Changunarayan. The program was organized by ICA Nepal and facilitated by Ms. Pritha Khanal where 15 women participated.

The program intended on providing Menstrual Hygiene Management knowledge among women who came from one of the commendable women groups of Changunarayan. Thus, them being our stakeholders and not only the beneficiaries, we aimed on providing knowledge about how to enhance Menstrual Hygiene in the community.

In this program also, the need of clean sanitary materials, clean and female friendly toilets, regular water supply, and availability of soap, towel and dustbins in the toilets were highlighted. In addition to this, the facilities of proper disposing should be provided to women where as the different methods of disposing napkins were also shared.

Women should be able to live with dignity and respect during menstruation. The fact that women are treated as impure during menstruation needs to be changed. This message was well conveyed in the program. Participants also shared various challenges they come across during menstruation due to lack of proper facilities to manage their periods.

The program ended with discussion on what can be the role of local women to improve MHM in their communities. They can play the role on personal and on community level. Personally, women can improve on their menstrual health and their families’ health; improve condition of toilets in their houses and offices. On a community level, they can conduct such awareness raising activities among school children and other women; they can prioritize the MHM activities in their women’s group as well.

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