Every day, around 1.9 billion people around the world experience menstruation. However, many of them do not have the means to manage this natural process in a dignified and healthy way.
What Makes Life Difficult for Women and Girls
In many countries around the world, women and girls face taboos and stigmatization because they menstruate. In many places, there is no access to menstrual products, or they are prohibitively expensive, along with a glaring lack of sanitation facilities and inadequate opportunities for personal hygiene. All of this combined makes life difficult for women and girls.
As soon as women and girls reach puberty, they face a host of challenges. This limits their access to education and career opportunities. Inadequate menstrual care harms their health and undermines their standing in society. The situation is particularly dire for people living in crisis-stricken regions and areas affected by poverty.
“When I had my period, I stayed away from the village. I was very embarrassed to go into the bushes to dispose of my sanitary pad. Today, I’m no longer ashamed.” Doreen from Buleebi in Uganda, where our partner organization has built sanitation facilities and a waste incinerator right next to them.
Tangible projects – significant impact
arche nova supports the construction of school toilets in Somalia and works to break the taboo surrounding menstruation.
As is the case in many schools, numerous female students at Bandsared School in the Galkayo District used to miss several days of class each month. Among them was 15-year-old Safiyo Ali Mohamed. She was constantly worried that her clothes might get stained or that others would notice. The fear and discomfort surrounding menstruation ultimately had a negative impact on her self-confidence and her participation in class.
With the construction of toilets that offer privacy and washing facilities with running water, as well as educational sessions, the situation at the school has fundamentally changed as part of our project. Safiyo no longer misses class and can talk openly with others about menstruation. “I understand my body better and feel more confident,” she says.
A good supply of hygiene products makes things easier
One of the injustices surrounding menstruation is the lack of access to sanitary products. Due to a lack of good alternatives, many women and girls use scraps of cloth or plant fibers. It is not uncommon for those affected to reuse expensive disposable products multiple times or for too long, while others are unable to wash their cloth pads sufficiently, which poses significant health risks. Because sanitary pads, tampons, and other hygiene products are barely affordable for people in disadvantaged regions or crisis areas, families are faced with a choice: food or sanitary pads?
Toilets are particularly important for women and girls
As an organization focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene—or WASH for short—we build toilets in many of the regions where we operate. In doing so, we help improve the living conditions of women and girls.
Together with our local partner organizations, we are improving sanitation facilities in schools and medical facilities, as well as in public spaces. We also provide toilets for individual households or families. In doing so, we always keep gender equality in mind. Women and girls need privacy, safety, washing facilities, and disposal options for menstrual products to manage their periods effectively. Adequate toilets are a matter of health and dignity.
Kompakt –
Unsere Aktivitäten rund um das Thema Menstruationshygiene
- Workshops und Gemeindedialoge zum Aufbrechen von Tabus und Abbau der Stigmatisierung, gezielt auch mit Männern und Jungen
- Wissensvermittlung und Gesundheitsförderung
- Verteilung von Produkten zur Menstruationshygiene, u.a. in der Nothilfe
- Unterstützung von Schulgemeinschaften für einen besseren Umgang mit der Menstruationshygiene
- Stärkung weiblicher Gemeinschaften
- Zugang zu menstruationsfreundlichen Sanitäranlagen
- Entsorgungslösungen für gebrauchtes Hygienematerial
Beteiligte Projektländer: Äthiopien, Mali, Myanmar, Somalia, Syrien, Uganda
Never forget: May 28 is Menstrual Hygiene Day
May 28 is Menstrual Hygiene Day. The date symbolizes the average cycle (28 days) and the duration of menstruation (5 days). With this mnemonic, you’ll never forget the date again. And that’s a good thing, because Menstrual Hygiene Day is more important than ever.
Gender equality under pressure
As recent studies show, the fragile progress made in gender equality is currently being called into question worldwide. The Association for Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid (Venro), of which arche nova is a member, warns that the rise of anti-rights movements has massive consequences for the rights of all people. Feminist international cooperation is legally mandated and more urgent than ever.
King’s College (London) recently examined how regressive societies around the world are currently becoming. According to the researchers, there is a growing sense—especially among younger men—that the gender equality debate is going too far. One-third of younger people believe that a wife should obey her husband.
This goes beyond individual private opinions. In many places, anti-gender mobilizations and narratives that view gender equality as a threat to social order are shaping public debates. As a result, gender equality has become a central battleground in the struggle over national identity, morality, and political authority.
The International Team for the Study of Security in Verona warns: The internationally agreed goal of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality (SDG 5) by 2030 requires not only measures to reduce discrimination and empower women, but also strategies that counteract the narratives and political forces aimed at delegitimizing equality itself.
This is the context in which arche nova operates. Our mandate is to contribute concretely to the achievement of the SDGs through our WASH projects. Through our activities focused on menstrual hygiene, we empower women and girls so that they can participate equally in society, the economy, and culture, and lead their lives with self-determination and freedom.
