Sankhuwasabha Conscious Connections Foundation (CCF) supported the Lhomi Women Welfare Forum to conduct a two-day Women's Health Training in Khandbari Municipality, Sankhuwasabha, on 6th and 7th January 2024. The training was organized to improve awareness and understanding of menstruation, menstrual hygiene management, reproductive health, and the social norms that continue to affect women and girls in their daily lives. In many communities, menstruation is still surrounded by myths, restrictions, and feelings of shame, making it difficult for women and girls to openly discuss their experiences or access accurate information. The training aimed to create a safe and welcoming space where participants could learn, ask questions, and share their experiences without judgment. Conscious Connections Foundation (CCF) supported the Lhomi Women Welfare Forum to conduct a two-day Women's Health Training in Khandbari Municipality, Sankhuwasabha, on 6th and 7th January 2024. The training was organized to improve awareness and understanding of menstruation, menstrual hygiene management, reproductive health, and the social norms that continue to affect women and girls in their daily lives. In many communities, menstruation is still surrounded by myths, restrictions, and feelings of shame, making it difficult for women and girls to openly discuss their experiences or access accurate information. The training aimed to create a safe and welcoming space where participants could learn, ask questions, and share their experiences without judgment. The main objective of the program was to increase awareness of menstruation, hygiene management, reproductive health, and the physical and emotional changes women experience throughout their lives. The training also aimed to address harmful beliefs and practices related to menstruation that continue to exist in many communities. Another important goal was to provide participants with practical skills to make reusable cloth pads using materials that are affordable and easily available. By combining health education with hands-on learning, the program encouraged participants to take a more active role in managing their menstrual health while reducing dependence on costly menstrual products. The main objective of the program was to increase awareness of menstruation, hygiene management, reproductive health, and the physical and emotional changes women experience throughout their lives. The training also aimed to address harmful beliefs and practices related to menstruation that continue to exist in many communities. Another important goal was to provide participants with practical skills to make reusable cloth pads using materials that are affordable and easily available. By combining health education with hands-on learning, the program encouraged participants to take a more active role in managing their menstrual health while reducing dependence on costly menstrual products. The training sessions were facilitated by Mrs. Samjhana Lhomi, a staff nurse with experience in women's reproductive health, and Mrs. Sumi Bhutia, Secretary of the Lhomi Women Welfare Forum. Participants learned about menstruation, reproductive organs, menstrual hygiene practices, puberty, and common misconceptions surrounding menstruation. Discussions also explored the social restrictions that many women continue to face during their periods, including restrictions related to religious practices, food, household work, and participation in community activities. These conversations helped participants reflect on the beliefs that shape their daily lives and encouraged more open discussion around topics that are often considered sensitive. A practical reusable pad-making session was also conducted during the training. Participants learned how to make cloth pads using materials that could easily be found at home or purchased locally at a low cost. The hands-on approach allowed participants to practice the skill themselves and ask questions throughout the process. At the end of the training, participants received hygiene kits containing reusable pads, underwear, and soap to support them in applying what they had learned. Many participants shared that they found the pad-making process useful and appreciated learning a skill that could benefit both themselves and other women in their communities. In addition to the training sessions, a focus group discussion was conducted with adolescent girls to better understand their experiences and knowledge related to menstruation. The discussion revealed that while many girls had learned about menstruation in school, there were still significant gaps in understanding reproductive health and menstrual hygiene. Many participants shared that they felt comfortable discussing menstruation with their mothers or female friends but were hesitant to speak about it with male family members. The discussion also highlighted that menstrual stigma remains present in many communities, influencing how girls experience their first period and how openly they talk about menstruation. The training also provided valuable insight into the social norms and challenges that women continue to face. Participants shared experiences of being restricted from entering kitchens, participating in religious activities, touching certain foods, or sleeping with their husbands during menstruation. Many women explained that they still felt embarrassed discussing menstruation openly or drying menstrual cloths in public spaces. These conversations highlighted the ongoing need for menstrual health education and community awareness efforts that address both knowledge gaps and deeply rooted social attitudes. Overall, the Women's Health Training helped create a supportive environment where women and girls could learn, share experiences, and gain practical knowledge about menstruation and reproductive health. By combining education, discussion, and skill-building, the program empowered participants to better understand their bodies, challenge harmful myths, and make informed decisions about their health. The training also reinforced the importance of continuing menstrual health education in rural and underserved communities, where many women and girls still face barriers to information, resources, and open conversations about their well-being. View Gallery

Igroom Dolma Lama Sr. Program Manager Igroom Dolma Lama is a dedicated and dynamic development professional with over a decade of experience in the social development sector since 2012. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Cooperation and Development Studies (2017) and is driven by a strong commitment to creating positive change in communities and society. She currently serves as the Senior Program Manager at Conscious Connections Nepal, leading initiatives focused on empowerment, inclusion, and sustainable development.

KAVRE

Sajina Kalikote Communication Officer Sajina Kalikote is a Creative Marketing & Communication Enthusiast passionate about storytelling, community growth, and creating meaningful connections through communication. With experience across nonprofit and business sectors, she has worked to amplify youth voices, document community impact, and develop engaging campaigns that inspire action and foster positive change. Her work spans strategic communication, content creation, social media management, and visual storytelling, with a strong commitment to gender equality and youth empowerment. Believing in the power of authentic narratives to challenge norms and build more inclusive communities, Sajina combines creativity with purpose to create communication that informs, inspires, and drives social impact.

NUWAKOT

Humla In Humla, Conscious Connections Nepal partnered with Nepal Austria Partnership Organization (NAPO) to implement the advocacy and inclusivity in menstrural health managementacross all eight wards of Simikot Rural Municipality. The program was created to support women and girls in remote mountain communities where access to menstrual health information, hygiene materials, and open discussion is still limited. In many places, menstruation is still treated with silence, shame, and misunderstanding, so the program focused on creating safe spaces where women and girls could learn, ask questions, and speak more openly about their health. The program mainly reached adolescent girls and women from Simikot Rural Municipality, while also involving community members, women’s groups, local leaders, and government representatives. The main objective was to improve knowledge on menstruation, hygiene, and menstrual health management. It also aimed to challenge social stigma around menstruation and promote reusable pads as a more affordable and environmentally friendly option. Through the program, participants were encouraged not only to manage their periods safely, but also to feel more confident talking about menstrual health in their families and communities. Several activities were conducted as part of the program. Eight Menstrual Hygiene Management orientation and reusable pad-making trainings were organized across the eight wards of Simikot. These trainings helped participants understand menstruation better and learn how to make reusable cloth pads. Along with the trainings, weekly FM radio episodes were produced and broadcast to reach people beyond the training spaces. Women’s radio discussion meetings were also held, giving local women a platform to share their experiences, challenges, and views on menstruation. The project team also collected stories and issues from beneficiaries, which helped make the radio content more connected to real community experiences. Advocacy was another important part of the Humla program. Meetings were held with Rural Municipality representatives to discuss the need for better support, awareness, and services around menstrual health. These conversations helped bring menstrual hygiene into local-level discussion, instead of keeping it only as a private issue faced by women and girls. Through training, radio, community discussion, and local advocacy, the program worked to slowly change how menstruation is understood and talked about in the community. The Humla program directly reached 141 women and girls through Menstrual Hygiene Management orientation and reusable pad-making training. A total of 750 hygiene kits were also distributed in the project area. The radio awareness meetings reached 74 participants, including 70 women and 4 men, while the FM radio program reached around 10,000 people across Wards 1–8 of Simikot Rural Municipality. Overall, the program helped women and girls gain knowledge, practical skills, and confidence, while also reaching the wider community with messages on menstrual health and dignity. View Gallery

Walking into Humla: A Field Diary from the Karnali Highlands Getting to Humla always feels like crossing an invisible threshold between worlds. Igroom and I left Kathmandu on a domestic flight to Nepalgunj, the familiar transit point for Nepal's western and Karnali regions. From there, after waiting for weather updates and flight confirmations, we boarded a small aircraft to Simikot. The flight itself was short, but the uncertainty surrounding it was constant. In Humla, plans are never fixed. They bend to the wind, clouds, and mountains. Once in Simikot, everything slowed down. There are no roads leading to the villages where we work. From the airstrip onward, movement happens on foot. Trails cut across steep slopes. Electricity comes and goes. Phone signals fade in and out. These are not background details, they shape daily life and determine how programs are received, remembered, and sustained. From 28 November 2025, our team was in Humla to monitor the menstrual health and hygiene work being implemented by Nepal Austria Partnership Organization (NAPO). The purpose was simple in theory but complex in practice: to listen, observe, and understand how change is unfolding in one of Nepal's most remote districts. Voices That Travel Further Than Roads One of the first things I noticed was the reach of NAPO's weekly radio program, broadcast on Kailash FM and Karnali FM. In Humla, where smartphones are rare and newspapers barely circulate, radio still travels farther than roads ever could. Women told me they listen while working in the fields, cooking, or sitting together in the evenings. The program speaks openly about menstruation, hygiene, gender-based violence, and everyday struggles, topics that were once whispered about or avoided entirely. While walking through Simikot, a stranger stopped Dechen, one of NAPO's staff members, and told her they recognized her voice from the radio. She is known more by her voice than her face. That moment stayed with me. It was not just the content that mattered, but the confidence behind it. The women's voices were steady and familiar. People knew them. People trusted them. Here, radio is not only about information. It is about presence, about women being heard in a public space that once excluded them. Sitting Across the Table from the System During a stakeholder meeting with representatives from the Rural Municipality, Female Community Health Volunteers, and local committees, the conversation moved between hope and frustration. Certain wards, particularly Wards 7 and 8, were repeatedly mentioned as especially difficult. Deep rooted beliefs, fear of social backlash, and rigid hierarchies continue to slow progress. We spoke about menstrual products, how disposable pads create serious waste problems, often ending up being eaten by cows and goats, and how reusable pads are more appropriate for Humla. They were also discussed as an opportunity for small-scale local livelihoods through pad-making. Incinerators, when they exist, often do not function due to unreliable electricity. Chhaupadi came up again and again, not as a result of ignorance, but as a practice sustained by fear and social pressure rather than belief alone. Female Community Health Volunteers shared how the training had strengthened their technical knowledge, including when pads should be changed. Still, everyone agreed that knowledge alone cannot undo generations of fear. Several stakeholders emphasized the need to address religion and culture openly within menstruation education rather than avoiding these conversations. There was also a clear call for stronger involvement from Rural Municipalities, not just in name, but in action. Women Who Once Whispered Meeting the women's groups formed by NAPO was one of the most grounding moments of the visit. Many women shared that when the groups first began, they were afraid of being judged, corrected, or silenced. Now, they speak without lowering their voices. They told me how chhaupadi has shortened in many households, from nine days to three. They spoke about understanding their bodies, hygiene, and health. Several women said they wanted these conversations to reach schools so girls would not grow up carrying the same fear they had lived with for years. Again and again, women told me that NAPO was the only organization consistently talking about menstruation in their communities. Coordination with the local government existed, but it was uneven. What remained strong was the commitment of the women themselves, and their insistence that this work must continue. Learning, Unlearning, and Quiet Resistance The three-day MHM orientation and reusable pad-making training in Wards 5 and 6 felt like a space where learning and unlearning happened side by side. Visual materials made the sessions accessible, and pre and post tests showed clear improvements in understanding Still, deeply rooted beliefs surfaced easily. Menstruation was repeatedly described as impure. Restrictions around movement and visibility were spoken about casually, as if they were facts rather than rules. Fear lingered beneath many decisions. Some women mentioned that even Buddhist communities are beginning to adopt restrictions, not because of doctrine, but because stigma spreads quietly through social influence. Yet there were moments of resistance. Women spoke about fewer days in isolation, less cruelty, and more conversation. They emphasized that one training is never enough. Change here requires repetition, patience, and presence. What Stayed With Me As I walked back through the trails of Simikot, what stayed with me most was the pace of change. It is slow, uneven, and fragile, but it is happening. Radio remains one of the strongest tools in Humla. Women's groups have become powerful spaces for confidence and leadership. Chhaupadi has not disappeared, but it is shrinking. Women are often the ones still enforcing restrictions, not because they believe in them, but because they fear the consequences of refusing. This makes it clear that awareness must extend beyond women alone , to men, elders, religious leaders, and institutions. There is a strong desire for school based education, livelihood opportunities, and sustainable solutions for menstrual waste. Women's groups are not just beneficiaries; they are the foundation for long-term change. Leaving Humla NAPO's work in Humla continues despite immense geographical and cultural barriers. The radio programs, women's groups, and hands-on trainings are creating real shifts in knowledge, confidence, and voice. The work is not finished, and perhaps never will be, but it is rooted in reality and led by the women most affected. As I left Humla the same way I arrived, by foot, by flight, by waiting, I carried with me the clarity that sustainable change here depends on consistency, trust, and showing up again and again. The collaboration between CCF and NAPO is doing just that, one conversation at a time.

Kavre In Kavrepalanchok, Conscious Connections Nepal partnered with Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA) to implement Empowering Voices, Ensuring Choices: An Inclusive Menstrual Health and SRHR Campaign for All. This program focused on making menstrual health and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights information more inclusive and accessible, especially for women and girls with disabilities. Many women and girls with disabilities face extra barriers when it comes to health information, mobility, communication, and access to services. Because of this, the program was designed to make sure they were not left out of conversations around menstrual health and dignity. The program targeted women and girls with disabilities, along with community members and local stakeholders from Banepa, Dulikhel, Panchkhal, Namobuddha, and Panauti municipalities. The main objective was to improve awareness on menstruation, hygiene, SRHR, and reusable menstrual products. It also aimed to support women and girls with disabilities to gain practical skills, build confidence, and participate more actively in discussions that affect their health and rights. At the same time, the program worked with local governments to encourage more inclusive planning and support for menstrual health. The project began with an inception meeting, which helped introduce the program and bring together key people involved in the work. After that, NDWA conducted a two-day orientation on SRHR and menstrual health. During the orientation, participants discussed menstruation, reproductive health, rights, hygiene, and the importance of inclusion. The sessions helped create a space where women and girls could learn in a supportive environment and share their experiences without fear or shame. Beyond the training, the program also carried out advocacy activities in five municipalities: Banepa, Dulikhel, Panchkhal, Namobuddha, and Panauti. These advocacy activities helped raise awareness among local government representatives and stakeholders about the needs of women and girls with disabilities. The program encouraged local governments to think more seriously about inclusive menstrual health, disability-friendly services, and the importance of involving persons with disabilities in decisions that affect them. In Kavre, the program reached women and girls through orientation, reusable pad-making training, and advocacy activities, with a strong focus on women and girls with disabilities. The updated report records 39 women and girls with disabilities as receiving reusable cloth pad training and Menstrual Hygiene Management orientation. A total of 100 hygiene kits were also distributed in Kavrepalanchok. Through this program, women and girls with disabilities were given space to learn, speak, participate, and be included in menstrual health discussions that are often not designed with their needs in mind. View Gallery

OUR PROGRAMS ADVOCACY & INCLUSIVITY IN MHM, HUMLA Creating spaces where women and girls can learn, speak openly, and feel empowered to manage menstruation without shame. ADVOCACY & INCLUSIVITY IN MHM, KAVRE Ensuring that women and girls with disabilities are seen, heard, and included in conversations and decisions about menstrual health. ADVOCACY & INCLUSIVITY IN MHM, MUSTANG Supporting women and girls in remote mountain communities to take charge of their menstrual health through knowledge, skills, and shared learning. MAKE UP TRAINING, BARA Creating opportunities for trans women in Bara to build skills, earn an income, and be recognized for their talents and potential. WOMEN'S HEALTH TRAINING, SANKHUWASABHA Creating a safe space for women and girls to learn about their bodies, challenge menstrual stigma, and make informed choices about their health. MHM & FIRST AID TRAINING, NUWAKOT Helping women and girls build the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills to manage menstrual health and respond to everyday health emergencies in their communities. MHM & REUSEABLE PAD TRAINING, GORKHA Bringing menstrual health education, reusable pad-making skills, and dignity to women and girls living in some of Nepal's most remote Himalayan communities.

MUSTANG

BARA

THE SCIENCE OF PERIOD POVERTY State of the Period 2025 Thinx & PERIOD. Menarche & Time to Cycle Regularity Apple Women's Health & Harvard Breaking the Period Product Insecurity Cycle Women's Health's Journal (2024) Impact on Mental Health BMC Women's Health Tackling Period Poverty in Nepal Platinum Transparency 2026 SRHR & Climate Change about Menstrual Discrimination Frontiers Media SA SRHR and Climate Change about Menstrual Discrimination Front. Glob. Women’s Health