KATHMANDU, MARCH 8
The Imperial World School in Budhanilkantha organized an event, marking the celebration of the 115th International Women's Day. Dignified menstruation was the key focus of the celebration held on Friday.
During the programme, several secondary-level students recited poems and gave their presentations highlighting the essence of International Women's Day or March Day, which this year is being celebrated under the theme, "For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment."
The participants said that celebrating women's struggles and accomplishments on a single day is not enough for the empowerment of the women in the country. Their message was that continuous efforts are needed to eliminate all forms of discriminations against women and girls and to advance toward achieving goals.
Dr. Radha Paudel, a pioneer in promoting dignified menstruation, attended the event as the chief guest and echoed that women's empowerment could not be realized until menstrual discrimination is eliminated. "Until our mothers, we, our daughters, and all menstruators are freed from menstrual discrimination, empowerment in the real sense will remain elusive," she stated. Dr Paudel stressed that menstrual practices and related discrimination are socially constructed, infringe upon bodily autonomy and fundamental rights, and has become already too late to dismantle these barriers. She also joined in reciting a poem themed around menstrual dignity.
Writer of various books including the Madan prize-winning Khalangama Hamala ( The Attack on Khalanga-2013, a war memoir), she urged the students to challenge all gender stereotypes, including menstrual discrimination, which she identified as a primary source of violence against menstruators. She also stressed the importance of including issues of trans-men and the queer community in the celebrations of Women's Day.
Furthermore, she advised the school to paint its walls with messages promoting the significance of dignified menstruation and to incorporate menstrual education into the curriculum. She called for breaking the silence, shyness, taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation.
The participants also paid tribute to Clara Zetkin, the founder of International Women's Day.
According to school coordinator Zunita Karki, the school is committed to a holistic approach to student development, with aims to raise awareness about inclusion, social justice, and inequality. The event was designed to serve this goal.
