A voice for her peers
In Nepal’s west, Pushpa’s story is testament to the power of youth-led advocacy and action in helping to ensure that no girl is left behind in the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign
Dailekh, Nepal: As president of her local child club in Dullu Municipality, Dailekh District, in western Nepal, Pushpa Rawat has always looked for ways to create change in her community. So when she learned about the Government of Nepal’s upcoming human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, she knew she had a role to play.
That resolve only grew stronger after participating in a co-creation session organized by UNICEF, in collaboration with the local government and Nepal Scouts. The workshop — one of several held across the country ahead of the nationwide HPV vaccination rollout in February 2025 — brought together girls and boys aged 10 to 14 to deepen their understanding of HPV, cervical cancer and the vaccine.
Through interactive sessions, myths were debunked, challenges identified, and solutions proposed—including a strategic action plan to reach all 14 out-of-school girls previously identified through a survey conducted by Dullu Municipality with UNICEF’s technical support.
"Before the workshop, I didn’t know much about cervical cancer," said Pushpa. "It helped me understand its importance, including for out-of-school girls."
Determined to ensure no adolescent missed out, Pushpa leveraged her networks — including her child club, the municipal child club network, the youth club, and ward-level adolescent clubs — to spread awareness and encourage participation. This was in addition to initiatives by the municipality to mobilize different community networks, Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs), media and social media channels, to promote the campaign.
Thanks to all these efforts, the majority of the 14 out-of-school girls received the vaccine in the first few days of the campaign, with more continuing to come forward.
"Pushpa’s idea to engage youth in the awareness campaign resulted in an impressive outcome," said Bishnu Shahi, Public Health Coordinator at Dullu Municipality.
"This success proves that mobilizing youth is an effective strategy, and we will apply it in the future."
Deputy Mayor Bina Karki echoed this sentiment: "I am incredibly proud of youth like Pushpa. Thanks to her dedication and the commitment of her peers, we were able to make this campaign a great success."
