How Undergraduate Female-led Initiative is Closing Menstrual Awareness Gap for Girls

Young women and girls in Africa face difficult stigmas when menstruating, as well as prohibitive costs to hygiene items and other resources, leading many of them to miss critical days at school and otherwise be left behind in society. Various non-profits and government organizations are working to change this and give girls an equal footing by providing sanitary pads to girls for free, in tandem with sex education and initiatives to debunk social taboos against periods.

be artsy's Rato Baltin project uses culturally relevant education, menstrual kit distribution, and engages religious leaders to challenge discriminatory practices against those who menstruate. Since launching in 2017, the group has reached 80,000 people and distributed over 5,500 menstrual cups, while simultaneously helping shift perspectives around menstruating.

She Deserves Uganda provides menstrual hygiene education to young girls and an organic aromatherapy solution to pain from period cramps they call The Cramp Relief Droppers, as a safer and more affordable alternative to traditional over-the-counter painkillers. The group has provided menstrual health education to over 10,000 girls across 50 schools and has distributed over 1,540 units of The Cramp Relief Droppers.

Brencare Foundation’s Safe Space Project meets once a week within local schools to provide menstrual health, hygiene, sexual and gender-based violence education to girls in need. So far, the Foundation has reached about 5,000 women and girls across several communities with its education efforts.

PLAN International is a global organization that works to increase the rights and access to gender-responsive, adolescent-friendly, and inclusive menstrual health management. The organization set up Pad Banks in schools and has also partnered with local advocacy groups to train and educate young women and girls on menstrual health and hygiene, all in hopes to address stigma, misinformation, and period poverty.

A Nigeria-based NGO is setting out to address period poverty by providing those in need with reusable sanitary napkins and also teaching them how to make the products themselves, all while educating them on menstrual hygiene and working to reduce the stigma surrounding periods.

The Achievers Foundation distributes free sanitary pads to those experiencing period poverty. The Foundation also hosts lectures on sexual and menstrual health and works to fight the stigma surrounding periods in some communities.

Tucheze Mtaani provides sexual reproductive health education support to young, school-age girls, specifically those in remote, rural areas where access to menstrual products and sexual education is scarce. The group provides educational resources, mentorships and counseling, as well as access to pads and sanitary supplies within schools to ensure girls feel supported at school and no longer have to miss days or drop out altogether.

Arise for Girls is an organization designed to educate young girls about menstrual hygiene, as period poverty and stigma are very apparent in rural areas. The organization provides educational resources, sanitary pads, and provides a sense of community by encouraging girls to connect with each other via WhatsApp. Since May 2021, the organization has helped over 1,400 girls in neighboring areas.

To reduce unplanned pregnancies, Delaware "embarked on an ambitious experiment" that worked to eliminate barriers that prevented women from pursuing alternative forms of birth control, such as cost and convenience. After two years, rates of unplanned pregnancies decreased by 15 percent.