Menstruation is not just a girl’s matter. You read that right. It’s everybody’s matter.
It is a normal and healthy part of every girl and woman’s life.
THE ISSUE
Periods are a fact of life. It isn’t something that we can change. Approximately 500 million women are having one right now, yet there is a stigma attached to periods. Millions of these girls, women, transgender, and non-binary persons are denied the right to manage their menstrual cycle in a dignified, healthy way.
The onset of menstruation means a new phase – and new vulnerabilities – in the lives of adolescents. Yet, many adolescent girls face stigma, harassment, and social exclusion during menstruation. Gender inequality, discriminatory social norms, cultural taboos, poverty, and lack of basic services like toilets and sanitary products can all cause menstrual health and hygiene needs to go unmet.
This has far-reaching consequences for millions of people. It restricts their mobility and personal choices. It affects attendance in school and participation in community life. And it compromises their safety, causing additional stress and anxiety.
When it comes to menstruation, what we don’t know can hurt us. Misinformation or lack of information around menstruation leads to misconceptions and discrimination which hinders girls. It also hinders boys from understanding its importance and normalizing it.
Every girl deserves menstrual hygiene management (MHM) education that empowers her to fully participate in society and live a healthy, self-determined life.
OUR RESPONSE
We envision a world where a period doesn’t create stress, shame, or obstacles for menstruators. Information about menstrual hygiene doesn’t only safeguard girls’ health but also helps them reach their full potential. Initially, our priority is to attend to the pressing needs of schoolgirls and marginalized women in rural areas of India. In partnership with Kishoree Foundation (an NGO specializing in MHM training), our awareness camps will target rural areas of Bihar and Jharkand (with very high poverty rates and low menstrual awareness rates) and West Bengal (with dominant red-light districts).
MHH Awareness Workshop
Cost: $700 per workshop
A 2-day educational workshop is an interactive program primarily targeted toward women, but also includes a session for men. We believe that educating the mother and father is the best starting point to make a generational change. By creating awareness and educating at the grass-root level, we plant the seeds for a bright future!
The program covers topics such as:
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- Human biological process
- Health & Hygiene Care
- Hands on workshops
- Exposure to various Sanitary products
- Exposure to Eco-friendly & Sustainable options
- Skill training to make homemade reusable cloth pads
- Confidence building exercises
- Basic budgeting skills
- Wellness checkup with free prescription fulfillment
- Dignity Pack donation
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Planned Workshops:
July 2nd, 2022 – Bihar, India
