BY LAXMI BASNET
During the menstrual hygiene and management sessions we conducted at school, there was noticeable hesitation in some schools about including boys in the discussion. It was not only adults who felt this way. Even before the session began, as we arranged our materials – wall charts, menstrual products – the younger girls watching us would question why boys were part of the program. They would ask, “किन केटाहरुलाई पनि राख्नु भयो? तिनिहरूलाई के काम?” (Why are the boys here, what use do they have). Perhaps it was from a place of worry that their boy classmate would make fun of them, or the idea of discussing the topic openly was outside their comfort zone.
When we engaged with the students about menstrual products, many boys would respond with “हामीलाई किन थाहा पाउनुपर्छ? केटीहरूलाई मात्रै सिकाउनु नि।’’ (Why do we need to know this? Just teach girls.)This reaction made me realize that menstruation was only seen as a “Female only issue”. Also, many boys refused to show interest and those who showed interest were often mocked by their friends.
Despite all of this, we continued with the sessions, and slowly the initial hesitation began to dissolve. We didn’t want to just teach them but wanted them to realize for themselves the role of men during menstruation. So, we then divided them into groups and asked them to write what they could do to support their mother, sister, and female friend during mensuration in a paper.
The boys spoke of helping with chores when their mothers felt tired. They mentioned checking in on their sisters and female friends, offering hot water bottles, giving them space when needed, or simply not teasing or making jokes. They talked about breaking the silence, buying pads from the store, and advocating for a safer environment for women. In that moment it was clear that the hesitation seen in the beginning was only a mask and they simply hadn’t had the space and opportunity before and when given the chance they stepped up.
What started with hesitation evolved into a powerful realization, creating a space for empathy and shared responsibility. Including boys in the discussion didn’t just challenge the outdated beliefs but also helped them to understand that menstruation is not only the “girl’s problem”. Therefore, we need to bring in men and boys in the conversation as advocates.