To support national ABS mainstreaming in Côte d’Ivoire, the ABS Initiative commissioned a comprehensive study on laws, policies, strategies, and activities that could be aligned with ABS. The study analysed institutional and procedural entry points and identified key actors within ministries and institutions to drive integration. It focused on ministries covering the economy, trade, health, science, agriculture, rural development, and intellectual property, as well as national development policies, SDG implementation, and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). 

The research combined targeted keyword searches (e.g. “biodiversity”) with interviews across ministries. Findings were validated by experts and shared with ministry and academic representatives at a workshop, where the ABS Focal Point and participants developed around 30 joint goals and actions. 

Building on subsequent activities and networks - for example based on the national NBSAP process - Côte d’Ivoire’s ABS mainstreaming shows early success: ABS is included in the revised National Development Plan, and agreements are in place to integrate it into research institute curricula and forthcoming ministry policies.

This building block supports the integration of ABS and biotrade into National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), aligning them with the Global Biodiversity Framework - particularly Target 13 - and fostering synergies with other instruments, such as the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. 

ABS mainstreaming involves embedding ABS into policies and plans across sectors such as trade, agriculture, health, finance, and research, rather than limiting its implementation to conservation authorities. At the 13th Pan-African ABS and Biotrade Workshop, participants discussed challenges, including limited funding, complex regulations, and insufficient involvement of non-environmental ministries. They explored Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approaches, with a strong focus on private sector engagement in valorisation to generate socio-economic benefits.

Country examples, such as Uganda’s multisectoral working group involving local authorities, NGOs, IPLCs, and businesses, showed how early stakeholder mapping, integration into national development plans, and cross-sector collaboration can make ABS integration into NBSAPs more practical, inclusive, and impactful.

This building block aims to strengthen awareness among government agencies responsible for ABS about the need for national ABS mainstreaming, aligned with Target 13 of the Global Biodiversity Framework, and to identify effective implementation approaches. To this end, the ABS Initiative organised a two-day workshop with ABS Focal Points from seven African countries. Participants analysed challenges for ABS mainstreaming, including limited cross-sector collaboration, balancing ABS priorities with other biodiversity goals, and gaps in implementing and monitoring benefit-sharing.

Using guiding questions, participants identified priority actors, mandates, partnership anchor points, and potential mutual benefits. Countries developed practical solutions, focusing on both technical collaboration with ministries and policy-level engagement to improve the enabling environment.

Strategic communication exercises helped to tailor ABS messaging for sectors such as agriculture, research, trade, and health by linking ABS to their specific policy objectives. Each country defined two priority measures and initial steps for implementation at home. The ABS Initiative also developed country policy briefs showcasing anchor and entry points for ABS mainstreaming.

This building block outlines how the SPARŚA Ambassador Program engages adult community members in open, respectful, and evidence-based discussions on menstruation. The approach prioritises dialogue over lecture, creating a space where participants can share their beliefs, practices, and lived experiences, while also receiving accurate information. 

Target groups are identified by Ambassadors themselves or in collaboration with ward offices, municipalities, or metropolitan authorities. These often include mothers’ groups, women’s collectives, youth clubs, and mixed community gatherings. Trusted groups like Ama Samuha or Tole Sudhar Samiti are engaged early to help mobilise participants and endorse the sessions, which greatly enhances credibility and attendance. 

Sessions are adapted to the context and needs of adults. Rather than delivering the same content as in schools, Ambassadors focus on myth-busting, stigma reduction, and practical menstrual health knowledge. This includes clarifying biological facts, discussing hygienic practices, exploring environmentally friendly menstrual products, and addressing social norms that restrict women’s and girls’ mobility, participation, or dignity during menstruation. 

Ambassadors begin by establishing safe space agreements and inviting participants to share their own perspectives through Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The facilitator listens actively, acknowledges local knowledge, and then uses visual aids, product demonstrations, and relatable stories to fill knowledge gaps or correct misinformation. Nutrition and self-care during menstruation are also discussed, linking health to overall well-being. 

Preparation is thorough: Ambassadors coordinate with the programme team for materials, set session dates with local leaders, arrange venues in accessible and comfortable locations, and ensure a variety of menstrual products are available for demonstration. Follow-up visits or recurring discussions are encouraged to reinforce learning and track changes in attitudes. 

This building block details how the SPARŚA Ambassador Program designs and delivers menstrual health education for students aged 11–17 (Grades 6–10) in Nepal, ensuring each session is relevant, inclusive, and culturally sensitive. 

Schools are chosen based on their proximity to the Ambassador’s community to ensure trust and easy access. Ambassadors map their audience and adapt delivery methods to different age groups. For Grades 6–7 (pre-menarche), sessions focus on building a safe and friendly environment through storytelling, interactive games, and art-based activities. For Grades 8–10 (post-menarche), the focus shifts to clear scientific explanations of the menstrual cycle, phases, and bodily changes, while also addressing myths, stigma, and gaps left by incomplete classroom teaching. 

Visual aids such as flip charts, diagrams, presentations, and flex prints help make abstract concepts tangible. Ambassadors also conduct live demonstrations of various menstrual products—disposable pads, reusable cloth pads, menstrual cups, and tampons—explaining pros and cons, safe usage, disposal methods, and environmental impacts. By linking product choice to environmental awareness, students learn how menstrual health intersects with climate action. 

Nutrition during menstruation is covered to promote physical well-being. Sessions are always inclusive of both boys and girls, which helps normalise menstruation, reduce stigma, and foster empathy among peers. Teachers are encouraged to attend so they can reinforce messages after the session. 

Preparation is key: Ambassadors contact school principals early, establish ground rules for respectful participation, prepare teaching materials, arrange transportation, and ensure all demonstration products are ready. Follow-up is encouraged through take-home leaflets or posters, allowing students to revisit the information later. 

This building block outlines how to identify, engage, and collaborate with the local actors who enable smooth implementation and long-term sustainability of the SPARŚA Ambassador Program. These include local authorities, community leaders, partner NGOs, school administrations, and ward-level representatives. Establishing trust with these stakeholders ensures legitimacy, secures support for sessions, and opens opportunities for collaboration, resource-sharing, and broader community engagement. 

Ambassadors begin by mapping key decision-makers in their area, including ward officers, municipal representatives, and respected community figures. Early face-to-face meetings secure permissions and build goodwill. These contacts often connect Ambassadors to existing programmes and community groups such as Ama Samuha, Mahila Samuha, Tole Sudhar Samiti, and Users Committees, which can help mobilise participants and spread awareness. 

Partner NGOs are engaged before training begins, contributing to co-designing content, sourcing expert trainers, and sharing proven materials like Ruby’s World from WASH United, NFCC toolkits, and GYAN resources. 

When engaging schools, Ambassadors prioritise in-person visits to principals over emails or calls, respecting local norms and increasing the likelihood of acceptance. Flexibility is essential to handle last-minute changes or rejections. Principals play a key role in organising logistics, allocating time slots, and ensuring student and teacher participation. 

Formal documentation—letters with organisational stamps and signatures—builds credibility and reassures institutions. Understanding local protocols is vital, as some districts require additional approvals from higher authorities. 

This building block establishes a community-rooted network of trained young educators—known as Ambassadors—who lead awareness sessions on menstruation within their own local contexts. The approach addresses the widespread lack of accurate menstrual health information among both schoolchildren and adults by using peer-led, relatable education. 

Ambassadors are selected from diverse communities across Chitwan, Nawalpur East, and Nawalpur West, ensuring cultural, linguistic, and contextual relevance. Both male and female Ambassadors are recruited to promote shared responsibility for breaking menstrual stigma. 

Before field implementation, Ambassadors conduct community and school mapping to design session content tailored to local needs and beliefs. They participate in intensive residential training on menstruation, SRHR, facilitation, and leadership, followed by mock sessions in local schools. They also form peer support groups—through WhatsApp, weekly calls, and shared online documents—to coordinate, co-create sessions, and sustain motivation. 

The programme prioritises both external impact and the personal and professional development of Ambassadors, fostering the next generation of community leaders and advocates for menstrual health. Regular check-ins, planning meetings, and progress updates keep the network active, responsive, and accountable.

Product development does not end with certification. To create menstrual pads that are accepted, trusted, and widely adopted, Sparśa built a structured system to integrate real user experiences into design improvements.

This building block focuses on user feedback surveys and community-based testing of Sparśa pads. The initial questionnaire was co-designed by the team and adapted from international tools, but simplified after field trials revealed that long, technical questions discouraged participation. The refined survey is short, available in both Nepali and English, and structured around everyday experiences of menstruation.

The survey collects both quantitative data (absorbency, leakage, comfort, ease of movement, wearability) and qualitative insights (likes, dislikes, suggestions). It also includes questions about packaging, clarity of information, and first impressions. Importantly, the survey is distributed through Google Forms for easy access and rapid data analysis, but also adapted for offline use where internet is unavailable.

The next stage is scaling up to at least 300 users, ensuring diverse representation across age, geography, and socioeconomic background. By triangulating lab results (Block 3) with user feedback, Sparśa can continuously optimize pad design, packaging, and distribution strategies.

This approach demonstrates that menstrual product development is not only about technical performance, but also about cultural acceptability, dignity, and user trust.

This building block ensures that menstrual pads are not only functional, but also safe, hygienic, and compliant with health standards before reaching users. Pads are used on a highly sensitive part of the body, which makes strict quality assurance indispensable.

In Nepal, a sanitary pad standard exists but is not yet mandatory. Sparśa therefore chose to voluntarily design and test pads according to both national standards and international ISO-based procedures, ensuring user safety and long-term readiness for certification.

The quality assurance process is divided into two components:

1. Internal testing protocols
Developed in-house to support R&D, these tests measure:

• Total absorbency (immersion tests to measure overall liquid capacity).
• Retention under pressure (ability of the pad to hold liquid without leakage).
• Spreading behaviour (how liquid distributes across layers and wings).
• Bacterial load per layer (testing the core, topsheet, and wings separately to identify contamination sources).

These protocols allowed Sparśa to compare prototypes quickly and identify flaws before moving to external certification.

2. Standard certification testing
Once prototypes reached consistent performance, pads were tested in certified laboratories. Local labs in Nepal were prioritised for practicality, but benchmarked against ISO methods. External testing covered:

• Absorbency
• Retention
• Hygiene and microbial load
• Physical safety parameters

Since Sparśa uses natural fibres like banana fibre, viscose, and cotton, maintaining hygiene standards is even more critical than with synthetic pads. Natural fibres are compostable and environmentally preferable but can be more prone to bacterial growth if hygiene controls lapse. To address this, strict bioburden protocols were introduced: glove use at critical points (e.g. after fibre cooking), clean-room practices for pad assembly, and systematic bacterial count documentation.

Certification is not only a compliance requirement but also a trust-building tool — with users, health authorities, and donors — providing transparency and credibility in a sensitive sector.

Annexes include Nepal’s sanitary pad standards, Sparśa’s internal testing protocols, and hygiene guidelines, enabling practitioners to replicate the approach in other contexts.

This building block outlines the findings and methodology of a nationwide field study conducted in 2022, which informed the Sparśa Pad Project. The research examined menstrual product usage, access, stigma, and user preferences among 820 Nepali women and adolescent girls in 14 districts across all seven provinces.

Using a structured face-to-face interview approach, the team employed ethically approved questionnaires administered by culturally rooted female research assistants. This method ensured trust, context sensitivity, and accurate data collection across diverse communities. The interviewers were trained in ethical protocols and worked in their own or nearby communities, thereby strengthening rapport and enhancing their understanding of local norms, power relations, and languages.

Key findings revealed a high reliance on disposable pads (75.7%) and ongoing use of cloth (44.4%), with product preferences strongly shaped by income, education, and geography. Respondents prioritized absorbency, softness, and size in menstrual products. While 59% were unfamiliar with the term “biodegradable,” those who understood it expressed a strong preference for compostable options, over 90%. Importantly, 73% of participants followed at least one menstrual restriction, yet 57% expressed positive feelings about them, seeing them as tradition rather than purely discriminatory.

These findings directly shaped the design of Sparśa’s compostable pads, informed the user testing protocols, and guided the development of targeted awareness campaigns. The accompanying link and PDFs include a peer-reviewed research article co-authored by the team and supervised by Universidade Fernando Pessoa (Porto, Portugal), as well as informed consent forms, a statement of confidentiality, and a research questionnaire. These documents are provided for practitioners' reference or replication purposes.

Why this is useful for others:

For Nepali organizations and local governments:

• The study provides representative national data to inform product design, pricing strategies, and outreach campaigns.
• It reveals regional, ethnic, and generational differences in attitudes that are essential for localized intervention planning.
• The questionnaire is available in Nepali and can be adapted for school surveys, municipal assessments, or NGO projects.

For international actors:

• The research demonstrates a replicable, ethical field methodology that balances qualitative insight with statistically relevant sampling.
• It offers a template for conducting culturally sensitive research in diverse, low-income settings.
• Key insights can guide similar product development, health education, and behavior change interventions globally.

Instructions for practitioners:

• Use the attached PDFs as templates for conducting your own baseline studies.
• Adapt the questions to reflect your region’s cultural and product context.
• Leverage the findings to avoid common pitfalls, such as overestimating awareness of biodegradable products or underestimating positive views on restrictions.
• Use the structure to co-design products and testing tools that truly reflect end-user needs.