On March 24, a total of 27 women gathered on the stage of Mandala Theatre. As they came together, they began screaming and crying out in pain. Gradually, they started sharing personal stories and struggles they had faced during their menstrual cycles. Alongside their narratives, they enacted various experiences—craving food, rolling on the floor in pain, and more.
These performances were part of Breaking Menstrual Stigma, a theatrical piece developed during a three-day workshop at the recently concluded Nepal International Theatre Festival.
Facilitated by German theatre practitioners Theresa Hübscher and Malin Freytag, along with Nepali theatre practitioner Saraswoti Chaudhary, the performance was based on Theatre of the Oppressed techniques. It explored the myths, taboos, and realities of menstrual health in Nepal.
The workshop
Rooted in Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, the first day of the workshop focused on interactive games among the participants. One of the activities involved making bracelets.
“We created the bracelets with them on the first day, which served as a nice icebreaker,” says Hübscher. “Everyone was proud of the bracelet they made.”
On the second day, the workshop became more intense and serious as participants practiced image theatre, depicting different emotions and pains they experienced during their periods.
“Elements like statue theatre, body mapping, and poetry were employed on the second day,” says Hübscher.
On the third day, drawing from what they had learned, the participants staged a performance, choosing their roles for the act.
Voice of participants
For the 27 participants from diverse ages and backgrounds, the workshop provided an opportunity to perform on stage, build networks, hear the experiences of people from different walks of life, and express their ideas and opinions on the subject.
According to Pooja Bista, one of the workshop participants, the experience made her realize how much she had been keeping her world confined within herself. It helped her understand the importance of expressing herself more, speaking up, and allowing her voice to take up space.
“The beauty of workshops like this is that they bring together people from diverse backgrounds—different ages, ethnicities, and geographies—offering entirely new perspectives,” says Bista. “Listening to menstrual stories, especially from people I know, deepened my sense of empathy and reinforced why conversations about menstruation need to happen everywhere, from intimate circles to public platforms.”
Bista, who runs Untold Period Stories, a digital movement aimed at shifting period narratives through art, education, storytelling, and advocacy, also shared her experience of performing on stage for the first time.
She describes performing in front of a live audience as both thrilling and transformative.
“It made me reflect on the kind of impact I can create through forum theatre performances,” says Bista. “This experience reinforced my belief that menstrual health advocacy must go beyond traditional awareness campaigns and evolve through new mediums.”
Inspiration from participants
Both facilitators say that conducting the workshop not only provided them with an opportunity to teach but also allowed them to get inspired and learn from the participants. They were surprised by the enthusiasm and engagement the participants showed during the workshop.
“I was very stunned by the pride and openness of the participants in sharing their creativity,” says Freytag. “We had a few really talented poets who told us, ‘Oh, I just wrote a poem. Can I share it with everyone?’ And we were like, ‘Yes, of course, we would love to hear it.’”
“And then someone else raised their hand and said, ‘I am a singer, and when she reads a poem, I would like to accompany her with my singing bowl and some humming,’” she recalls.
Another thing that amazed both facilitators was the participants’ ability to learn quickly. Many of those on stage—most of them being non-actors—grasped their roles and dialogues within a couple of hours and delivered the performance professionally.
“I feel like I learned a lot from the participants,” says Hübscher.
For Hübscher, the most inspiring moment came after the performance when some men approached her and shared how the act had completely changed their perspective on menstruation, as they had never discussed it with women before.
“They told me, ‘I feel so bad. Until now, I had never asked my sisters or cousins how they feel. I will definitely change this now. I have to be a better companion and really change my behavior,’” Hübscher recalls.
“And I think this is so much more than we could have wished for.”
The pride the participants felt after the performance brought joy to both facilitators.
‘They were so proud, and they truly felt like stars,’ says Freytag.
Approach for the future
Even today, menstruation remains a major taboo across Nepal. Women are restricted from many daily activities during their periods. The conservative practice of chhaupadi still persists in the country, endangering women’s lives.
The taboo and misbelief on menstruation is so huge that many females internalise that due to the menstruation something is wrong with them and their body.
Due to this discriminatory practice, the taboos and misconceptions surrounding menstruation are so deeply ingrained that many women internalize the belief that something is wrong with them and their bodies when they menstruate. To overcome this issue, both facilitators and participants believe that such workshops should be conducted frequently across different parts of the country.
These workshops shouldn’t just be occasional; they need to happen regularly at both organizational and grassroots levels to create a lasting impact,’ says Bista.”
Echoing Bista, Freytag emphasizes that school curricula should require students to engage with the topic of menstruation. Alongside an intellectual approach, artistic expression should also play a crucial role in changing perceptions.
“It doesn’t have to be limited to theatre; it can include drawing, singing, and other forms of art,” says Freytag. “The message should reach people on an emotional level, where language is no longer a barrier.”
