Kathmandu, Sept. 2 -- On the day the government announced the nationwide lockdown in March, Sneha was on the first day of her period. Fearing she would have no access to sanitary napkins during the lockdown, she rushed to a nearby shop to buy a pack of sanitary pads. While in the shop, she noticed that the shelves for menstrual products were almost empty.

"I knew then the pandemic would cause a shortage of sanitary pads in our village in no time," said the 16-year-old from Bajhang, whose village has only one pharmacy.

And her concern came true. Ever since the lockdown was clamped on March 24, most of the shops in Dhamilekh, Sneha's village, have remained shut-even after the lockdown was lifted for a few weeks. Those shops that opened, m...