Imagine being told that something as natural as your body should be kept at a distance. Imagine being absent from school because you do not have access to a sanitary pad. Imagine having rights but no empowerment to enforce them.
For too many girls and women in Nepal, this is not an imagination; it’s reality.
Even in a country that provides legal protection to the right of sexual and reproductive health and rights, issues like stigmatization, menstruation taboos, myths, and lack of access to sanitary products have kept women away from exercising their rightful freedom, which shouldn’t have been a problem in the first place.
The demand is needed now more than ever; nearly 44% of the population has unmet needs for family planning, 38% of young girls are absent from schools during the menstruation period, and only 15% have access to commercial sanitary pads due to affordability and availability problems.
That is why Dulaari was created.
Named after a young woman from Mungra, Dulaari’s story is one of resilience. Once a shy, early-married mother, found confidence, independence, and purpose through opportunity and support. Today, her journey represents countless women whose lives can change when they are empowered by knowledge rather than silence.
Since 2023, Dulaari has reached more than 180 women and girls across Nepal. Built on two pillars, “Education” and “Access,” the project equips women with accurate information on sexual and reproductive health and rights, provides menstrual hygiene kits, and trains local SRHR defenders who continue these conversations long after the workshops end. Guided by the culturally grounded Dulaari Manual, communities in Madhesh and Bagmati Provinces are replacing myths with knowledge and stigma with understanding.
At SAATH, we believe reproductive health is more than hygiene; it is dignity, confidence, education, and freedom. Dulaari is helping women reclaim all four.
Because when one woman is empowered with knowledge, she doesn’t just change her own life; she changes her family, her community, and the future of generations to come.