Minister Kharel highlights need for establishing Dignified Menstruation at home, schools, community and everywhere

Kathmandu, Dec 8: “We will move together, and the future of Nepal is prosperous in the perspective of dignified menstruation,” said Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Jagadish Kharel, while giving his remarks during the inaugural session of the three-day International Learning Conference on Dignified Menstruation here today.

The Minister, who joined the conference as the chief guest, said that coming from a media background, he is aware of dignified menstruation and its remarkable journey in Nepal and across the globe.

“There is more or less the same perspective towards menstruation from east to west, across all communities, and from well-off to impoverished societies,” the Minister said, commending all those engaged and dedicated to ending menstrual discrimination and establishing dignified menstruation.

“Menstrual discrimination is a very complex and multifaceted phenomenon and has a role to construct unequal power relations and patriarchy which roots all forms of gender-based violence starting right from home,” he said.

The Minister highlighted the role of all stakeholders, including the government, in dismantling all forms of menstrual discrimination and establishing dignified menstruation at home, in schools, communities, workplaces, and everywhere.

He also took time to applaud Dr Radha Paudel, an expert on dignified menstruation, for her relentless and unconditional fight against menstrual discrimination. “She is a true campaigner for transformation, very different from many other development activists,” the Minister said.

Communications Minister Kharel, who also serves as the spokesperson for the government, said that much transformation in the sector of dignified menstruation is still awaited, as the government has not yet fully taken ownership of the agenda.

Echoing the significance of continuous campaigns and activism to bring positive change in society, he said the government is fully committed to cooperating with efforts towards the establishment of dignified menstruation.

The Minister, from the election government, added that the government is focused on conducting the election on the announced date, March 5, 2026 and is equally committed to promoting good governance which is one of the major concerns raised by the Gen Z movement on which the present government was founded.

“Anti-corruption efforts are our priority, and we have opened more than 25 cases related to major alleged corruption scams, which are being taken forward. Zero tolerance against corruption is the government’s norm,” he added.

Ambassador of France to Nepal, Virginie Corteval, said she is here as the Embassy supports the agenda of dignified menstruation and this event. “The French government is dedicated to improving women’s rights and human rights,” she said. She emphasized that menstruation, the natural/ biological process and essential for motherhood, has been a source of discrimination, and addressing this is crucial for ending inequalities.

Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Laxmi Kumari Basnet, spoke about the need for strong policy measures to establish dignity, equity, and justice in the context of dignified menstruation. She stressed the importance of open conversations about menstruation at home, in schools, and in communities to dispel myths and break the silence surrounding it.

The three-day event, themed “Dignified Menstruation: Reclaim Inherent Dignity, Equity, and Inalienable Rights,” has brought together representatives from various countries across the globe, including Benin, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Congo, France, Germany, Guinea, India, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Spain, Togo, and the United States of America.

The event will conclude by issuing a Kathmandu Declaration on Dignified Menstruation.