Menses Project

Young women in the villages of Khotang lack both the education and supplies necessary when dealing with menses; D2N’s Menses Project is our response to this situation.

In 2022, along with a facilitator, we met with young women from several schools and sent surveys to recent graduates. We learned that due to cultural taboos, misinformation and misperception about menstruation, the young women face discrimination both at home and in school. Often they miss a week of school and are excluded from activities during menses. The young women describe themselves as "suffering in silence" - emotionally and physically.

In addition to education on every level (community, parents, teachers, students and mothers groups) we determined that making sanitary and pain relief products free and readily available were the first steps to mitigating the. To learn more read the May 2023 Report.

During 2023 the government and the governmental schools engaged in the project and recognize its importance. This engagement allows us to bring facilitators to multiple schools, discuss the topic with the teachers, girls and boys, and carry out educational programs that address social stigmas, taboos, and discrimination and provide solutions to these issues. To learn more read the January 2024 Report.