Upholding Menstrual Dignity: Ensuring Inclusivity for Women with Disabilities in Nepal

Introduction

Menstruation and disability intersect within health and legal frameworks, recognizing the unique challenges faced by women with disabilities. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) emphasizes equitable access to healthcare, including menstrual health services, ensuring that women with disabilities are not left behind. Similarly, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) highlights the importance of addressing gender disparities, urging inclusive policies for women with disabilities in menstrual health management. In Nepal, the Constitution guarantees the right to health of all citizens, including those with disabilities, guaranteeing their access to menstrual hygiene resources. Furthermore, the National Health Strategy prioritizes inclusive health services, with the aim of closing the gap for women with disabilities in the management of menstrual health, thus promoting their dignity and well-being.

Main summary

However, in Nepal, the intersection between menstruation and disability poses unique challenges that are often overlooked. Women with disabilities face significant barriers in managing their menstrual hygiene due to socio-cultural practices such as Chhaupadi, lack of accessible facilities and inadequate awareness materials. They have difficulties accessing or acquiring products such as sanitary pads, tampons or menstrual cups that adapt to their needs. Additionally, bathrooms in public spaces or workplaces may not be equipped to accommodate people with disabilities, making it difficult to manage menstrual hygiene discreetly and comfortably.

In Nepal, the menstrual challenges faced by girls with disabilities are often considered inevitable. In a society where people with disabilities are often considered incapable, there is a widespread belief that women with disabilities face more difficulties when they menstruate. Deaf women, for example, face significant barriers to purchasing sanitary pads due to the absence of sign language interpreters in medical and grocery stores. The lack of menstruation awareness materials in sign language exacerbates these challenges, depriving them of essential information from their families due to the taboo nature of the topic and lack of discussion.

One of the key challenges for menstruating women with disabilities in Nepal is the lack of accessible toilets. Cleanliness and hygiene are essential during menstruation, but inadequate facilities make it difficult to maintain these standards. The largely inaccessible facilities pose serious difficulties for wheelchair users, people with spinal cord injuries and those using crutches. They often have difficulty changing sanitary pads as needed and may be forced to crawl on the floor to access dirty facilities. The lack of disability-friendly infrastructure in medical facilities, department stores, and grocery stores makes it even more difficult for wheelchair users, those with tricycles, crutches, and walking sticks or walking sticks to purchase sanitary pads independently, resulting in in a dependence on others for help.

In schools, the lack of accessible bathrooms forces wheelchair users and disabled women who use calipers to miss several days of school during their menstrual periods. Surangana Bharati, who has a physical disability, said that she avoids appearing for exams while she is menstruating because she cannot change her sanitary pad at school. “While I change my sanitary pads, I have to leave the exam halfway and enter the room. I have no other option,” she explained. This problem has led some students with disabilities to drop out of school altogether. For women with visual impairments, the lack of adequate garbage containers and a regular supply of water in school toilets presents significant challenges in maintaining hygiene and disposing of sanitary pads properly. Additionally, since the expiration date on the packaging of sanitary pads is not printed in Braille, there is a risk of using expired products.

Chhaupadi and its impact on disabled women

Chhaupadi, a deeply rooted cultural practice in Nepal, requires menstruating women to be isolated from their homes and families, often confined to small, unhygienic huts or stables. For women with disabilities, this practice is even more harmful. Isolation exacerbates their vulnerability, making it difficult to access care and maintain hygiene. The physical and emotional toll of Chhaupadi on disabled women is immense, leading to increased health risks and social ostracism.

IEC Material and Accessibility Concerns

Limited and inaccessible awareness materials create a significant gap in knowledge development and dissemination of information on menstrual hygiene management. This gap leads to unsafe and disorganized practices during menstruation. The absence of tactile materials to educate and sensitize them about menstruation adds another layer of complexity. Without access to Braille or tactile learning tools, these women are often unaware of basic menstrual hygiene practices. This lack of information can lead to misconceptions and improper management of menstruation, causing greater health complications.

The ignorance of inclusion

Accessibility concerns are often completely ignored by mainstream organizations working on the issue of menstruation during menstruation awareness training and promotion efforts. These organizations tend to take a token approach to inclusion, primarily to secure funding, rather than genuinely addressing the needs of women with disabilities. Despite the existence of organizations of people with disabilities (DPOs) that produce exemplary menstruation-related promotion and awareness materials in accessible and easy-to-read formats, traditional organizations do not use or replicate these good practices. Furthermore, a critical attitude prevails among development workers and representatives of UN agencies regarding the menstruation needs of women with disabilities. These professionals often overlook the unique challenges this group faces, perpetuating exclusion and failing to promote meaningful inclusion in their programs. This disregard highlights a significant gap in the effective and inclusive delivery of menstruation-related services and education.

Way forward

Ensuring menstrual dignity for women with disabilities in Nepal requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the interrelated challenges of disability, gender and menstruation. By promoting awareness, challenging stigma, and implementing inclusive policies and programs, Nepal can empower women with disabilities to manage menstruation with dignity and achieve greater health and well-being. It is essential that stakeholders at all levels prioritize the rights and needs of women with disabilities in efforts to promote menstrual health and hygiene across the country.

Conclusion

Addressing the menstrual health needs of women with disabilities in Nepal is not just a public health issue but a fundamental issue of human rights and dignity. The existing barriers, whether cultural, infrastructural or informational, require urgent and comprehensive solutions. By ensuring a more inclusive society that respects and supports the unique challenges these women face, Nepal can make significant progress towards gender equality and social justice. It is imperative that the voices of women with disabilities are not only heard but actively involved in the formulation of policies and practices that affect their lives. Only through inclusive and participatory approaches can we ensure that no woman is left behind and that menstrual dignity becomes a reality for all.

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Cite this page (APA): Sarita Lamichhane – Founder of Prayatna Nepal. (2024, June 4). Upholding menstrual dignity: ensuring the inclusion of women with disabilities in Nepal. Disabled world. Retrieved June 5, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/health/female/menstruation.php

Permanent link: Upholding menstrual dignity: ensuring the inclusion of women with disabilities in Nepal: In Nepal, the intersection of menstruation and disability poses unique challenges that are often overlooked.

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