Strength TogetHER 17- Session 5

8th January,2022

"LEADERS BLEED, PERIOD"

Lokopakar is a youth-based organization that is currently running four programs among which Strength TogetHER is one of its projects where a group of girls from different backgrounds meet virtually and share their stories, insecurities, ideas, perspectives and help each other grow. In each session, a moderator is invited who listens, appreciates, and guides the participants.

On 8th, January, we conducted a session of cohort 17 on the topic "My First Period", with the girls of Jumla in presence of the Zonta Club of Kathmandu. The session is Jumla is conducted in partnership with the Zonta Club of Kathmandu. Zonta Club is a legally registered NGO that has been working on the advancement of the status of women with the objective to improve the economy, education, health, and issues related to youth and violence against women.

Our moderator was Ms. Dipisha Bhujel, a social activist who has been working in the field of menstruation, women empowerment, and mental health for more than 5 years now. In 2018 she initiated a platform for young people to talk about their experiences of their first period to normalize conversation regarding menstruation and since then she has been advocating for menstrual equity. Ms. Bhujel is currently working as a coordinator of her project Sparsa. Sparsa is a project of Nidisi. A German Nepali non-profit organization through which they will be producing biodegradable menstrual pads and simultaneously investing in awareness campaigns to promote MHM in Nepal. Ms. Bhujel is also a recipient of the Zonta International Young Women in Public Affairs Award 2020 and the Asian Girls Award 2021. Apart from this, Dipisha is an avid reader and explorer and right now on the journey to travel across Nepal for her research project which aims to study the menstrual project choice, accessibility, and practices among Nepali women and girls.

We were eager to hear the first-period stories of girls in Jumla and how menstruation is taken in the Jumla society. When we asked the participants to share their experience and how difficult it is in Jumla, the girls shared without any hesitation. This is what girls had to say:

Our first question was how does the family react during the first period of their daughter.

One of the participants shared that they have to hide away from the family on the first day and when the family comes to know then they are given some gifts as their tradition. She shared that Jumla is superstitiously influenced and strictly prohibits a menstruated girl from religious and normal household activities fearing that their God will be upset and bring evil to the family (Deuta Manney). However, the Bazar areas are being influenced by cities like Kathmandu. In the Bazars, menstruated girls are prohibited from the kitchen and the puja room whereas in villages girls are still kept in the cowshed.

She shared her first-period story," Luckily my house is in Bazar. My sister-in-law instructed me to use the sanitary pad and told me to hide away from my brother as seeing the male members by a first-time menstruated girl would not be culturally appropriate, I could not eat the food I craved and was isolated in a room."

Then, two of our speakers shared similar experiences. They shared that they are not restricted to any work when in their period as Buddhist culture does not restrict girls during menstruation. They shared that they use sanitary pads as it is more convenient while going to school than using a cloth. Both of them were guided by their mother during their first periods.

Our other speaker shared that she had to stay in the Goth (cowshed) during her first period and has stayed in Goth around six times. Now, she stays in a separate room and is not allowed in the kitchen. She shared that when she was staying in Goth, different thoughts would come to her, which would be mentally difficult. Parents were not allowed to Goth and friends would come to give her company. 

We also had Dr.Sabina Pahari with us in the session, one of our participants asked that she suffers from extreme cramps during periods. People in her village told her that she should not take any medicine during the period and it will get cured once she gets married. Then our doctor consulted how that belief is medically wrong and suggested some medicines.

One of the participants shared that she got her period earlier than her friends. She first experienced backache, stomach, and cramps in her thighs and then finally bled. She first did not share with anyone out of shame but when her bleeding increased she panicked and shared with her mother. She shared that she still suffers from nausea and digestion problems during her periods and asked the doctor for pain-relieving treatment.

One of the participants had difficulty connecting throughout the session. Fortunately, she got connected in the last few minutes and shared that during her first period, she had to stay alone in a separate room, eat whatever was given by the family and was considered untouchable as her family strictly believes in Deuta. She mentioned that the good side of being considered untouchable during the period is that there is no burden of household activities and the worst part is being alone and suffering from pain.

One of the participants from Achham shared that she found Jumla quiet ahead of Achham in terms of taking menstruation as a taboo. She shared that in her village women still live in Chaupadi goth, the government is demolishing the Chaupadi goth but only near the headquarters. Chapuadi still exists in remote villages. Women have to deal with poor sanitation as they are not allowed in the public taps, they suffocate in the narrow goth alongside the cattle afraid of snakes and wild animals. 

The participant was happy to hear that change is taking place in Jumla and the lives of girls are better, she wished such changes to take place in her village. She shared that luckily she got her first period in Kathmandu and wishes to not get her period in her village whenever she is visiting.

Then our moderator shared what she had seen in the villages while doing her research related to menstruation. She related participants' experiences with what she has seen. She made us optimistic by giving pieces of evidence of how the Chaupadpadi Pratha is on the verge of elimination. People have become more aware, educated and have started improvising their traditions only focusing on the logical side of them. This is bringing the change, but menstruation is still taken as a taboo. So the more we become vocal, the more we share knowledge on this topic and empower the young generation the faster we are going to get the better results. 

Our guest Mrs.Meekha Mathema from the Zonta Club of Kathmandu also suggested the girls have some homeopathy to reduce pain during the period and make their activities easier. She explained how yoga and asana help in maintaining a healthy reproductive life in females.

It was such an eye-opening session. Participants spoke about how the superstitious society is affecting lives, especially in rural areas. Our participants got more courage and knowledge to beat taboos like menstruation after hearing our experts from the Zonta Club Of Kathmandu.