Hon. Minister LILA NATH SHRESTHA, Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen
Hon. Minister Lila Nath Shrestha, Lila Nath Shrestha (born 28 January 1962) is a Nepali communist politician and a member of the House of Representatives of the federal parliament of Nepal. He joined politics as a student and has remained a prominent communist politician from Siraha District. He was a candidate in the constituent assembly elections of 2013 but was defeated. He finally won his first seat in parliament in the 2017 legislative election from the Siraha-3 constituency. For details: https://mowcsc.gov.np/
Hon. Minister PARBAT GURUNG, Information and Communication Ministry
Hon. Minister Parbat Gurung, has expressed his commitment to the promotion of dignified menstruation by eliminating all forms of discrimination, abuses, violence related to menstruation. For details: https://mocit.gov.np/
Hon. Minister GIRIRAJ MANI POKHAREL, Ministry of Education
Hon. Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel, is a Nepalese politician and the current Minister of Education. He is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). For details:https://moe.gov.np/
DR. BIMALA RAI PAUDYAL
Bimala Rai Paudyal is a Member of the National Assembly, Federal Parliament of Nepal. Earlier, a member of the National Planning Commission, she holds a PhD in Development Studies from Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands and an MA from the University of Manchester. Dr Rai Paudyal is a policy expert with more than 25 years’ experience in the areas of sustainable development, peace and reconstruction; agrarian differentiation, rural livelihoods, and social protection; gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) mainstreaming; natural resource governance, climate-smart agriculture, and disaster risk reduction. She also serves as an adjunct professor of Development Studies for Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU). She is one of the members of High Level Task Team in Organic Agriculture and the management board of Kathmandu Forestry College.
Hon. MP.Binda Pandey
Hon. MP.Binda Pandey is the chairperson of the Fundamental Rights & Directive Principle Committee of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal. She had been involved in Nepal’s trade union movement for more than a decade. She was the driving force behind most publications brought out by GEFONT, one of the largest confederations of Nepalese trade unions. Throughout her career, Hon. Ms. Pandey has always been a women’s rights activist. She was one of 1000 women proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Hon Ms. Pandey worked from 1994 to 1997 as a program coordinator for the Committee for Asian Women – Regional Labor, an NGO based in Hong Kong, and has gained considerable knowledge and experience of the challenges faced by working women throughout Asia. She was an Executive Committee member from 1997 to 2000. In May 2004, Hon Ms. Pandey was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the GEFONT, a confederation of Nepali trade unions.
She worked previously as a Central Secretariat Member and Chief of the GEFONT’s Department of Education from 2001 to 2004, and Secretary of its Department of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 2000. Hon. Ms. Pandey also worked for the National Women’s Commission formed by the Government of Nepal from 2001 to 2003. She was also an active member of the All Nepal Women Association (ANWA).
GAGAN KUMAR THAPA
Gagan Kumar Thapa is a member of parliament now. He served as Minister, Ministry of Health 2016, Member, Constitution Assembly and Parliament of Nepal, 2013 AD, Member, Central Committee, Nepali Congress Party, 2010 AD Member, Constitution Assembly and Parliament of Nepal, 2008AD, General Secretary, Nepal Student Union, 2002 AD University Senator Tribhuvan University, 1998AD. He has Masters in Arts (Sociology/Anthropology) 2003 AD, Bachelors in Science (Chemistry) 1998.
Bed Prasad Bhattarai
Bed Prasad Bhattarai, is the Secretary and Spokesperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal. He joined NHRC as the Regional Director and later was appointed as the Secretary by the government of Nepal. He has also contributed to the national conference of the Human Rights Defenders and successfully worked as the Convener of the International Conference of the NHRIs of the Asia-Pacific Region for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Migrant Workers in which Kathmandu Resolution 2012 was adopted by the participating NHRIs of the Asia and the Pacific region. He also meaningfully participated in ensuring human rights-based and gender-responsive implementation, follow-up, and review of the Global Compact for Migration: The role of National Human Rights Institutions held in March 2019.
KAMLA BHASIN
Kamla Bhasin, a social scientist by training, Kamla Bhasin has been actively engaged with issues related to development, gender, education, media and others since 1970. Currently, she works with Sangat – A Feminist Network as Adviser as well as JAGORI, a Women’s Resource and Training Centre and Jagori She is the South Asia Coordinator of One Billion Rising, a global campaign to end violence against women and girls; Co-Chair of the worldwide network Peace Women Across the Globe; and member of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR). Prior to this, she worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for 27 years. Kamla Bhasin is deeply engaged with issues related to gender, development, peace, identity politics, militarization, human rights and democracy and seeks to explore and articulate connections between these issues and to promote synergies between different movements. Her main work is at the South Asian level, and has included capacity building of South Asian and other young activists and networking amongst civil society organizations in South Asia. She has also written a large number of songs and slogans for the women's movement, books for children, and has created many posters and banners for various people’s movements. She is committed to the creation of a peaceful, democratic and pluralist South Asia.
LAXMAN BELBASE
Laxman Belbase is a Gender justice & Child Rights’ Activist with over 15 years of experiences in programs development & implementation, advocacy, monitoring & evaluation, activism & organizational development & strategic planning in the field of Gender Equality, Child Rights & social justice at national, regional & global levels. His focus is on transforming masculinities and engaging boys and men in gender equity as one of the founding core group member of MenEngage Alliance in Nepal. Currently, He is working as a Global Networks Manager at Men Engage Global Alliance.
DAVID BARON DO
David Baron, Provost, Senior Vice President, and Professor of Psychiatry Western. University of Health Sciences Emeritus Professor of Global Mental Health, Univ. of Southern California Former Chair of Psychiatry, and Medical Director of Global Temple, Temple Univ. Former Deputy Clinical Director and Director of Education, NIMH of the NIH Section Chair, Medicine, Psychiatry and Primary Care, World Psychiatric Assoc Founding Chair, Section on Exercise, Psychiatry and Sport, WPAOver 150 scientific publications(books, chapters, peer-reviewed papers)Over 400 invited scientific presentationsDistinguished Life Fellow, American Psychiatric Assoc Distinguished Fellow, Am. College of Psychiatrists Distinguished Life Fellow, Am. College of Neuropsychiatrists International Fellow, Royal College of Medicine Board certified in Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry, and Brain injury Medicine Numerous awards for research, teaching and mentorship, including the Rose Kennedy Humanitarian Award.
ARCHANA PATKAR
Archana Patkar is a Senior Coordinator: Gender, Human Rights, and Community Engagement at UNAIDS Geneva. She is a pioneer in breaking the silence on menstruation globally, she has worked on menstrual health and hygiene for two decades across Asia and Africa and is committed to addressing stigma and discrimination across the human lifecycle in order to change hearts and minds, and achieve lasting changes in policy and practice, at scale.
She is currently an independent adviser to WHO, UNAIDs, UNWomen, governments and civil society gender equality, WASH, and rights. She is also busy with research on menstrual health, stigma and waste across the reproductive lifecycle and impact investment and metrics. Archana holds Masters degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science, New York University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.
NANNDAR (Nandu Gyawali)
Nandar is a young feminist, born in 1995, Myanmar.She is the translator of the book called We should all be Feminists, Host of first Myanmar Feminist Podcast named G-Taw Zagar Wyne and working in Purple Feminists Group. She has been speaking on dignified menstruation since 2014 within country and beyond.
PRABHA SANKARANARAYAN
Prabha Sankaranarayan is the President and CEO of Mediators Beyond Borders International, (http://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/) an international impact organization whose mission is to build local skills for peace and promote mediation worldwide. She is committed to partnership, as evidenced by the organization’s collaboration with over 120 organizations globally. She leads MBBI’s recent partnership with Rotary International, a global network of 1.2 million members, as well as with NAFCM, a North American network of over 300 mediation centers. She is a conflict transformation practitioner who has mediated, facilitated and trained in Europe, Asia, Africa and the USA. Her public and private sector work includes conflict analysis for public/private partnerships, consultation & assessment for industrial development zones, design and implementation of trainings for multinational corporations; inter faith dialogues as well as facilitation of multi-stakeholder mediations. In her capacity as CEO of MBBI she designs conflict transformation and capacity building programs around the world, serves as a consultant for companies, policy makers, governments, universities and groups engaged in civil resistance and also advises on the role of women in peace and security. Prabha is involved in regional, national and international civic activities focused on civil liberties, violence prevention, conflict mitigation & mediation and the recovery & rehabilitation of trauma survivors. She is an Adjunct Professor at Washington and Jefferson College. She serves on the ASEAN Regional Forum’s ( ARF) Expert and Eminent Persons ( EEP) Group for the US Government. She designs programs and interventions, trains and delivers presentations (nationally and internationally) on the impact of violence, the intersection of trauma and peacebuilding, restorative justice, conflict resolution, mediation and transitional justice.
JAYDEEP MANDAL
Jaydeep Mandal, is a Founder and Managing Director of Aakar Innovations Pvt. Ltd. and Co-founder & Director-Aakar Social Ventures. He is an Engineer and MBA in Innovations and Entrepreneurship with a Global Innovation Program certificate from GSB-Stanford University-USA. 12+ years of experience in menstrual hygiene, rural innovation and micro-enterprise development as an entrepreneur, consultant/advisor with several governments, World Bank, UN organizations, UKAID, USAID & International NGOs like Aga Khan Foundation. He has been recognised/awarded by several National & International organisations/Govt.s like Govt. of India, Prime-Minister of India, President of India, CII, FICCI, UN, GSC, Nasscom, MIT, Stanford University-USA, University of Texas-USA, SOCAP, TIE-USA & INDIA, USAID, SOCAP-USA, JIII-Japan, IUSSTF, Lokheed Martin, SIFE(now Enactus), IIMs, ISB, Miss World Organisation for his innovations, entrepreneurship & menstrual hygiene sector work.
INGA WINKLER
Inga Winkler is a lecturer in the Institute for the Study of Human Rights and the Director of the Working Group on Menstrual Health & Gender Justice at Columbia University (www.periodsatcolumbia.com). She is a co-editor of the forthcoming Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies. Her books include the first comprehensive monograph on the human right to water and an edited volume on the Sustainable Development Goals. She is involved in advocating for advancing a comprehensive understanding of menstrual health at the global level and in several countries, and is particularly interested in the intersection of menstruation, human rights, society and culture. She is the former legal adviser to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation.
RAJAN RAJ PANDEY
Rajan Raj Pandey has an M. Sc. Environmental Engineer (Bachelors’ in Civil Engg.) with over 35 years of experience in the fields of WATSAN, Environmental Studies (IEE, EIA, EMP and EA), WASH in Emergency etc. both in Government and I-NGO/ consulting sector. Has worked through the rugged chilly mountains of Nepal and Bhutan to the scorching heat of India to sea level communities of Bangladesh, The Philippines, Indonesia and Tonga to the deserts of Ethiopia and Iraq. With all the basic skills in computer (MSWord, Excel, PPt, Internet, email, picture manager etc. and various engineering software) with knowledge of 8 languages and experience of working with people of all the major religions of the world, almost through 20 ethnicities and over 8 linguistic regions and temperature below -100 C to over 500 C. Also experienced in community participation, needs assessment, design, supervision, monitoring and evaluation, Contract management of projects in normal development context (ADB, WB, JICA, FINNIDA, DANIDA, Helvetas etc. supported projects on FIDDIC conditions of contract) and places with limited democracies (development project- Bhutan), post- Natural Disaster (Typhoon Haiyan- The Philippines and Tsunami- Indonesia, Earthquake, 2015- Nepal), Health Emergency (Cholera-Ethiopia and Rohingya Refugees- Bangladesh) and war-torn conflict areas (twice in Iraq) as well- in 10 different countries. A Registered Member/ Certified Trainer on Emergency WASH and DRR- CCA of RedR.
SOPHIE COUSINS
Sophie Cousins is an award-winning Australian journalist and author based in Nepal. Her work focuses on the systems that exacerbate gender inequality and the impact this has on women's and girls' health across South Asia. Her work has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, Foreign Policy, the Lancet, Nature, and the London Review of Books, among other publications. She is the author of A Woman's Worth: Health, Stigma, and Discrimination in India which was published in 2019.
ESTHER KYAZIKE
Esther Kyazike, from Uganda, is a passionate librarian by training and profession with a focus on increasing access to public library and funding to mobilize and support youth. As a part of the Uganda Youth Network and Uganda Community Libraries Association, she conducts research, hosts forums, network, and educates the community on menstrual hygiene management under the dignified menstruation framework, centering dignity. She is passionate about raising and spreading awareness and education surrounding Dignified Menstruation in Uganda and global.
Dr.SAMIKSHA KOIRALA
Dr.Samiksha Koirala is a media researcher and faculty at Nepal Open University. She is a former advisor to the Minister of Women, Children, and Senior Citizen. Koirala is also pursuing her postdoctoral fellowship under NORHED funding. She earned her Ph.D. in Journalism from the University Of Oslo in 2018. Her publications and research interest are in the area of gender and journalism, media representations, the safety of journalists, and digital harassments. Koirala has more than 10 years of experience in print and broadcast media.
STEPHEN MARWA
Stephen Marwa of Tanzania is the Executive Director of Hope Revival Children's Organization (HRCO). Stephen is an advocate of women's rights, community development, and an empowerer of those who are most vulnerable in his community. His projects focus on Community Development, social entrepreneurship, agriculture, and education to improve the lives and further advance opportunities to empower girls/ women in underdeveloped regions of Northern Tanzania. Stephen actively works with students and international partners to work toward women’s health and empowerment. Stephen’s most recent work was working to provide reusable sanitary pads through the reusable pad sewing project. He has mobilized women and community leaders in Musoma, his hometown, through collaborations with partners to ensure that no girl has to miss school while on their period.
HELEN CONNOLLY
Helen Connolly took up an appointment as South Australia’s first Commissioner for Children and Young People in April 2017. Helen has 30 years’ experience as a leader in human services. Prior to her appointment as Commissioner for Children and Young People she was Executive Director of the Australian Red Cross in South Australia and Chair of the South Australian Council of Social Services Incorporated (SACOSS). Helen is a long-time advocate for building respectful partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities, and organizations, and has established networks and relationships through her position as Co-Chair of Reconciliation SA.
JANE BENNETT
Jane Bennett is an author, educator, and Co-developer of the rite journey Girls program with a background in social work, clinical hypnotherapy. She became passionate about the need to transform inherited views of embarrassment and shame around menstruation (and the many knock-on effects) into those that are conducive to menstrual, and general, wellbeing. See www.fertility.com.au for more about Natural Fertility Management. She also worked for Celebration Day for Girls is now available in over 20 countries. See www.celebrationdayforgirls.com.
DIANE DANZEBRINK
Diane Danzebrink is an activist who is passionate about improving menopause education and awareness and empowering women to take control of their health and well-being before, during, and after menopause. A menopause counselor and well-being consultant she has professional nurse training in menopause and is a member of The British Menopause Society. As a direct result of her own dreadful menopause experience, which had a profound effect on her mental health and wellbeing, she created the not for profit organization menopausesupport.co.uk which provides evidence-based information resources for all, 1-1 menopause information consultations for women, and educational webinars for employers. In October 2018 Diane created the #MakeMenopauseMatter campaign calling for mandatory menopause education for all GPs, menopause awareness and guidance in every workplace, and for menopause to be included in the national RSE curriculum - this was achieved in July 2019. Diane is regularly invited to comment in the media on television, radio, and in print and is currently writing her first book.
MADHUSUDAN SUBEDI
Madhusudan Subedi is Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Community Health Sciences and Co-ordinator of the School of Public Health, Patan Academy of Health Sciences. He is also associated with the Central Department of Sociology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Professor Subedi is the Co-investigator of the research project 'Dignity Without Danger: Collaboratively analyzing stigma and taboos to develop innovative strategies to address menstrual exclusion in Nepal (2018-21)' funded by British Academy through the Global Challenges Research Fund Sustainable Development project.
PASANG TAMANG
Pasang Tamang is a postgraduate researcher in the School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield (UK). Before starting her Ph.D., Pasang worked for Save the Children in Nepal as Knowledge Management and Advocacy Coordinator in Saving Newborn Lives III Project funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She is an active member of the research and Programs development team for the Manavta project since 2015 which works in the field of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). She has conducted research in the field of maternal and neonatal health, human resources for health, perinatal health, and the health system.
RAM NARESH YADAV
Ram Naresh Yadav, has completed his MPH in 2008 from the State University of Bangladesh and M.Ed. studies from TU Nepal. He has been working as Manager – Public Health in Good Neighbors International (GNI) and as a team leader for MHM Projects. He has published two papers in reputed international journals and working as a member of WSSCC (Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.). NHRC awarded him a certificate of Poster Presentation in the Third national summit of health and population scientist of Nepal in 2017. MoHP also provided an appreciation letter to him for his generous contribution and support in providing health services to the post-earthquake survivors of Gorkha District Nepal where he had worked as Team Leader. He has presented as a speaker for SCON International Conference on Food Science, Nutrition and Public Health on June 27-28, 2019 | Singapore.
Dr. SNEHA ROOH
Dr.Sneha Rooh is a Palliative Physician and Founder of Orikalankini, an organization that is changing narratives around menstruation and sexuality in India through art, theatre, and Dialogue. She has received YCF Diploma from the Swedish Government in 2018 and has presented her work in several national and international conferences including “Period and the Pandemic- Politics, Pain and Conflict” and was invited to present at the Society of menstrual cycle research. Her work involves creating space for creative courage and critical thinking through art and helping people understand the patterns of their menstrual cycle for inside-out advocacy.
NIRVANA CHAUDHARY
Nirvana Chaudhary, Managing Director CG Corp Global is no stranger to working hard for his own success. Nirvana founded his own company within the CG Corp Global conglomerate, CG Finco
when he was only 19-years-old and became the Managing Director of the Chaudhary Group before reaching 30. CG Corp Global is a multi-dimensional conglomerate with a complementary business portfolio that comprises over 80 businesses on five continents and in 30 countries. It has a workforce of over 15,000 people and a net worth in excess of $2.5 billion. Nirvana’s drive and determination to expand his great-grandfather’s business across the globe has catapulted him into the position of Nepal’s youth role model, where he uses his power to motivate youth, teach them leadership skills and give back to his country. Chaudhary Foundation, which focuses on improving the lives and strengthening the communities of Nepal. Through the foundation, he is dedicated to creating socially responsible businesses and sustainably developing Nepal. Nirvana has been one of the foundation’s driving forces and has helped it open Nepal's largest spiritual institute, Shashwat Dham, and partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve health and sanitation in Nepal. He also runs his own private philanthropy initiative in the name of his parents, Binod & Sarika Chaudhary Foundation.
Beyond his business and philanthropic endeavors, Nirvana is passionate about collecting art that promotes young Nepali artists, he was a former national squash player and an avid trekker who has summited some of the tallest mountains in the world.
JHUPRI BHANDARI
Jhupri Bhandari is a speaker, survivor, singer, woman with disability from West Nepal (Achham).