Breaking bloody taboos about menstruation

Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated every year May 28. It addresses the challenges and hardships many women and girls face during their menstruation. It also to highlight the positive and innovative solutions being taken to address these challenges.

For the first time in Nepal being a Chief Guest of “May 28: Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebration” Mr. Balram Aryal, Chief District Officer (CDO) of Gulmi  inaugurated the program by opening the Sanitary Pad to break the bloody taboos of untouchability during the menstruation period. Though it is not a usual practice of discussing menstruation openly in the mass he put emphasis on considerating menstruation as unique and different ability of women, not as a matter of shame and unpurity. 

The day was celebrated also in Kapilvastu and Rupandehi . On 28 May, In Kapilvastu Menstruation hygiene day had been celebrated at Basudev Janta Secondary School, Rangapur -3 with the participation of 109 people including school girls and their mothers. In Rupandehi district 60 adolescent aged girls and their mothers of Gonaha VDC (120 Participants) participated in the programme.  

The programme was successful in creating  awareness on several misconceptions and practices, which sometimes result into adverse health outcomes of adolescents and women. The program was organized to break  the psycho-social belief of adolescent girls on menstruation that it is natural process. Hygiene-related practices of women during menstruation is of considerable importance, as it has a health impact in terms of increased vulnerability to reproductive tract infections. The interplay of socio-economic status, menstrual hygiene practices and reproductive tract infections are noticeable. Today most of the rural women and girls are unaware and often the infection is transmitted. With little knowledge of mensuration adolescent girls student dropping out from school is anormal practice in Nepal.

All students and mothers participated actively in the programme and made queries about menstrual hygiene. The program included a video show in local language and a reusable pad making practical exercise. Participants suggested that the school teachers should teach making cloth pads to female students as an extracurricula activity and keep some cloth pads at the schools also. Both the teachers and students responded positively. This was the first time they were celebrating menstrual hygiene day and got chance to learn new things. 

Here are the some pictures of menstruation hygiene day celebration:  Mothers and students giving their introduction, sharing their views and experience about menstruation (onset, problems and hygiene); 

Resource Persons giving lecture on menstruation and discussion with students & their mothers; students making cloths pads themselves after demonstartion.