EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT

Launched in 2018, the Girls’ Health Education & Empowerment Program (GHEEP) is a cornerstone initiative of the Unatti Foundation. Through transparent, culturally sensitive health education, GHEEP reaches 5,000+ students each year—both girls and boys—in classrooms across Nepal.
In many parts of Nepal, young people receive little to no education about puberty, menstruation, or reproductive health. This absence of information fuels myths, shame, and discrimination—particularly for girls. GHEEP exists to change that reality by creating safe, informed, and respectful learning environments where students can ask questions, build understanding, and talk openly about health without fear or stigma.
Breaking Silence, Ending Stigma
Menstruation in Nepal is often surrounded by deeply rooted taboos, including the centuries-old practice of chaupadi, which dictates that menstruating girls and women must separate from their families and daily life. During this time, they may be barred from kitchens, religious spaces, and even access to clean water—leading to isolation, shame, and long-term harm.
GHEEP addresses these realities directly, not through confrontation, but through education that is grounded in respect for culture while challenging harmful myths. By normalizing conversations around menstrual and reproductive health, the program helps prevent discrimination, reduces shame, and supports girls in staying healthy, confident, and engaged in school.
Education That Includes Everyone
A core strength of GHEEP is its co-educational approach. By teaching girls and boys together, the program builds shared understanding and peer support—helping shift attitudes at the community level. Girls gain the knowledge and confidence to care for their bodies and advocate for themselves, while boys learn respect, empathy, and accurate health information that helps dismantle stigma from the inside out.
Addressing the Bigger Picture
Period stigma does not exist in isolation. It is part of broader systems of inequality that limit access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity—especially for girls. GHEEP is designed to address these structural barriers by equipping young people with knowledge and language that empowers them to question harmful norms and imagine more equitable futures.
Uplifting Local Health Leaders
GHEEP is delivered by trained volunteer health workers who are social work student interns from Kadambari Memorial College of Science and Management. Through this partnership, students earn academic credit while gaining hands-on experience teaching health education in real classrooms. Their presence builds trust, strengthens community connections, and ensures the program is locally led and culturally relevant.
A Model for Change
While many organizations are working to address menstrual stigma in Nepal, Unatti is proud to be a pioneer in delivering classroom-based, community-rooted, co-ed health education at scale. Our health workers visit hundreds of classrooms each year in the Kathmandu Valley and rural villages—planting seeds of understanding that extend far beyond the school walls.

When young people are informed, supported, and unashamed, entire communities grow stronger.