Dignity Without Danger: Collaboratively Analysing Stigma and Taboos to Develop Innovative Strategies to Address Menstrual Exclusion in Nepal

Women and girls in Nepal lack basic rights to a dignified menstruation. They suffer inhumane and degrading treatment which includes abuse and violence. Exclusionary practices, stigmas and taboos around menstruation, underpinned by traditional beliefs and cultural heritage practices, prevent women and girls from fully participating in economic and social life, impacting negatively on school attendance and employment.

In order to reduce the suffering, discrimination and violence against menstruating women and girls, and to promote partnership for sustainable human development, the project team has identified a need to work with local actors and communities. Through conducting collaborative action research, the team aims to unravel untold, often secret, forms of intangible heritage surrounding menstruation, held within diverse practices and traditional belief systems. It is hoped that navigating discursive fields will enable partners to ultimately promote dignified periods for menstruating women and girls in Nepal with potential for application in other cultures who practice menstrual exclusion.