Period Dignity For Women and Young Girls
MWALI
(Woman and young girl in Kiswahili)
Unfortunately, period poverty often intersects with abject poverty, creating significant challenges for women and young girls in accessing menstrual hygiene products due to limited financial resources. In Africa, where basic needs like food, shelter, and healthcare are often prioritised, menstrual products are considered non-essential, leading to insufficient funds for their purchase.
The lack of access to proper menstrual products results in women and young girls resorting to unsanitary materials or makeshift alternatives, which can lead to health issues and discomfort. Managing menstruation becomes a daily struggle, impacting hygiene, productivity, and overall well-being.
To help address period poverty, comprehensive interventions are needed for all women and girls (and not just in Africa). These include providing free or subsidised menstrual products, promoting reusable and sustainable options, improving access to clean sanitation facilities, and implementing educational programs on menstrual health and hygiene. Realistically, as a brand, we can't do everything but we can certainly help by providing free washable pads.
Our initiative, Mwali (woman or young girl in Swahili) has been created to alleviate these challenges by using fabric off-cuts from our clothing production to create washable sanitary pads. The pads are made using soft, highly absorbent fabrics for comfort and a plastic barrier for effectiveness, which are then distributed to women and young girls in slums in and around Nairobi. Each person receives a starter pack of reusable/washable pads, along with a bar of detergent soap and instructions on proper use and washing. As our pad stocks grow, we will be able to reach more women and young girls to help alleviate the discomfort and the indignity of period poverty.
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