Nepal, May 2 -- Until four years ago, most villages in Bajura and Bajhang forced women and girls to isolate in menstrual sheds and banned them from consuming milk, yogurt, and ghee during their periods. That started to change after Green Tara and the Rural Education and Environment Development Center launched the Garima Project. Their community-driven campaign helped reduce these discriminatory practices, as highlighted in a project impact assessment presented during a ceremony on Wednesday.

At the event, Seema Thapa from Khaptadkhanna-6 in Bajhang shared how the Garima Project inspired her to challenge long-held taboos. The training, she said, first brought change within her and her mother. Her village had banned menstruating women from...