Breaking Barriers: Nepal initiative empowers women and girls through menstrual health and gender equality programme
In Nepal, many women and girls, particularly from poor and marginalised communities, continue to face barriers rooted in poverty, cultural stigma, and gender-based violence. Menstruation, a natural biological process, remains one of the most underserved and stigmatised issues. Lack of access to affordable, hygienic sanitary products often forces girls to miss school, putting their education and future opportunities at risk.
To address these challenges, The Steve Sinnott Foundation, with funding from Soroptimist International Foundation, is running a grassroots project that combines awareness, education and practical skills. The project distributes cost-effective, reusable sanitary pad kits, provides reproductive health education and equips women and girls with the skills to produce their own pads, offering an affordable, eco-friendly, and sustainable solution.
The project seeks to improve menstrual hygiene, boost girls’ school attendance and strengthen their ability to resist gender-based discrimination and violence. At its core, the initiative has two key goals: reducing gender-based violence and advancing menstrual health management.
Training sessions on non-violence
To date, the initiative has engaged communities across three locations through targeted activities. A total of 444 children, youths and adults participated in awareness training sessions on:
- The concept and impact of gender-based violence
- Fundamental human rights and how to protect these rights
- The role of community members in preventing gender-based violence and fostering a supportive environment
Youth groups also received theatre training, preparing plays that addressed gender-based violence and menstruation and challenged harmful norms with an aim to promote positive behavioural changes and reduce stigma. These performances reached over 550 people, prompting conversations that encouraged tolerance, equality and healthier menstrual practices in both schools and communities. The theatre training and the performances were all undertaken using the local language, ensuring accessibility.
As part of the project’s focus on building safer communities, 42 participants, including women, youth, and children, took part in a three-day Alternatives to Violence Programme. Guided by four facilitators, the training sessions taught peaceful approaches to conflict, highlighted the consequences of violence, and encouraged participants to adopt non-violent behaviours.
The training fostered active engagement and reflection, helping community members envision a more peaceful and supportive environment. The sessions were interactive and the participants showed active engagement throughout the training, empowering everyone with tools for peaceful conflict resolution.
Training on producing reusable sanitary pads and menstruation awareness
At the heart of the initiative, 110 women and girls took part in hands-on workshops to learn how to produce reusable sanitary pads. Using locally available materials, they practiced cutting, stitching and assembling the pads, while also discussing safe use and maintaining good hygiene. For many, the training went beyond health—it showed how homemade pads could ease the financial burden of monthly purchases and even open the door to small income opportunities.
Alongside the production training, 210 women and girls received reusable sanitary pads and joined sessions that explored menstruation, reproductive health and hygiene. These conversations created space to break taboos, share experiences, and highlight the advantages of reusable products, from affordability to sustainability.
Outcomes:
- Increased awareness of women’s rights and community responsibility in preventing violence
- Promotion of peaceful conflict resolution and positive social behaviours
- Reduced stigma around menstruation, encouraging open discussions in schools and communities
- Current statistics show a 92 per cent increase in girls’ school attendance due to the impact of the Positive Periods and prevention of gender-based violence programmes
- Empowerment of women and girls with skills to produce reusable pads, lowering family costs and offering eco-friendly alternatives
By equipping women and girls with education, dialogue and practical skills, the initiative is helping to shift deep-rooted norms while empowering women and girls to take control of their health, education and futures. In doing so these women and girls are offered pathways to dignity, equality and resilience.
By Dilly Prasad Sharma
Executive Director Children epal
