Mother's Group meetings are not only a forum for women in Nepal to learn about maternal and child health, they are also an important space for women to gain confidence, to raise their voices and to be heard. Padma Kumari Chaulagai is one of the women who has remained strong through many hardships and found her voice at the local Mother's Group in the remote Kalikot District.

As a young girl, Padma sustained an unfortunate injury to her right hand resulting from falling off a cliff while taking the family's goats out to graze. Since there was no quality treatment available in her locality and her family did not have a high awareness of the importance of seeking immediate aid, the hand injury worsened and led to the amputation of her right hand. Despite this disability Padma remained strong and studied up to grade 12 before getting married and having children.

Due to her disability Padma has endured being sidelined and ridiculed which has made her nervous to raise her voice. When she was asked to read the banner on behalf of the local Mother's Group at the celebration of "International Women's Day" she could hear some men laughing and whispering in the crowd "Why are women even trying to speak? Disabled and still wants to lead?". Dejected, Padma lay in bed that night wondering if she would ever find the strength to speak again.

The turning point came when project staff started facilitating the Mother's Group meetings. They didn't just talk about health, they spoke about rights, dignity and the power of women's voices. For the first time, Padma felt truly seen and heard. With support and encouragement from the facilitators, she began to speak more and more. First only in small meetings, then in big group meetings, and finally she even represented the local Women's Network in a community event against gender-based violence. These days, Padma works proudly as a teacher and actively brings other women to the Mother's Group Meetings to help them find their voices too. Padma reflects, "Despite the progress I've made, I continue to grow stronger, more focused, and more determined than ever. Today, I can stand with confidence, ready to speak up for my rights at every level, local, municipal, and federal. Because now I know: my voice matters. This recognition matters. Not just for me, but for many women like me who have been overlooked."

Mother's Groups in Kalikot were supported by HealthBridge's partner International Nepal Fellowship throughout the "Improving Reproductive Health and Preventing Child Marriage in Nepal and Vietnam" project during 2021 – 2025.