Tackling
Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management continues to be a major challenge for many of the women and especially school-aged girls in rural communities in Western Rwanda. With limited access to sanitary products, a lack of information about menstrual health and stigma surrounding periods, many girls are forced into using unsafe period management methods. These dangerous practices put the girls at an increased risk of urogenital infections and keeps them from attending school during their periods for fear of leaks.
We have launched a project that seeks to end period poverty in our communities in a sustainable and community-led way by creating a local production of affordable reusable sanitary pads and delivering Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management education workshops to key stakeholders within the community!
For school age girls, having access to an affordable and safe period management product coupled with a better understanding of Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management will directly and significantly contribute to lowering student absenteeism and dropout rates. As a result, it will improve student attainment, unlocking the potential of the girls currently held back by period poverty. For the wider community, the availability of affordable sanitary pads and improved knowledge on menstrual health will enable women to fully participate in economic activities, improving their earning potential and reducing the constraints that the current stigma places on their lives.
It is early days, but from our initial monitoring and evaluation we are already seeing a reduction of girls missing school because of their periods and a reduction of UTIs since they switched to our pads! Importantly the girls and women we have surveyed reported feeling informed about safe menstruation practices after attending an educational workshop.
