Strategies to end period poverty so everyone can go with the flow...

Having extended the debates surrounding water and sanitation in Africa in this week's seminar and lecture, I wanted to look more at a specific initiative that is being used to combat the problem of period poverty: reusable sanitary products. 

Around the world, there has been a boom in the sale of reusable sanitary products; an affordable and sustainable alternative to existing disposable products which produce huge amounts of plastic waste and are less economical. I believe that not only are reusable sanitary products a more eco-friendly alternative to existing products, but they could play a crucial role in the global fight against period poverty. 

Due to the longer-lasting nature of reusable sanitary products, they are a much more cost-effective and efficient means of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) to those who may not be able to afford or have consistent access to disposable sanitary products. The effects of period poverty in Africa are felt most strongly in rural areas and areas of lower average income due to the cost (often due to the heavy taxing of menstrual products) and availability of MHM products (Lumutenga et al., 2017). Therefore, these are the social contexts in which I believe that the introduction of reusable sanitary products would be most effective and advantageous. 

Image Title: "Tackling Uganda's Period Poverty One Sanitary Pad at a Time"

The introduction of reusable sanitary products would be most effective if implemented using community-based initiatives, as 'community-based organisations play a significant, catalytic role in responding to immediate community needs' because 'they invest in knowledge and skills-building activities that bolster confidence and recognition of agency' (Parenzee, 2021). Due to the stigma surrounding periods - which centres on misconceptions of "impurity" and "uncleanliness" - it is even more important for initiatives tackling period poverty to be community-led so as to encourage society-wide destigmatisation of menstruation. 

An investigation into the effects of reusable sanitary products on female empowerment in Eastern Uganda found that initiatives to teach local women how to make their own reusable menstrual products 'had enormous potential to create employment for many women and improve their livelihoods while improving retention of girls in schools' (Lumutenga et al., 2017). This initiative was a collaboration between Mississippi State University, who provided a small monetary grant for the project, and local organisations who helped to implement the initiative on the ground (ibid). 

This type of initiative has not just been seen in Uganda. Lolo Cynthia, 'a public health specialist and sexuality health educator' was responsible for the education of around 250 women in southwest Nigeria on how to make their own washable pads to use and distribute (Iwenwanne, 2020). This specific project had the backing of the First Lady of the Ondo State of Nigeria, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, legitimising and de-stigmatising the fight against period poverty: 'Cynthia's period pad initiative has become a powerful symbol in a conservative country where discussions around menstrual and sexual health are often seen as taboo' (ibid). Not only are initiatives like these contributing to better MHM practices across Africa, but they are providing women, often in rural or low-income areas, with the opportunity to make their own money. Female financial independence and autonomy would contribute hugely to achieving gender equality, and therefore the importance of these community-led initiatives cannot be overlooked. 

Overall, I believe that through initiatives such as those mentioned, communities could go a long way in eradicating period poverty, not just in rural areas, but across the continent of Africa. 

To end this blog post, I have included a really interesting and informative video showing a similar initiative in action.