For many girls across Africa, menstruation is a taboo and uncomfortable period that disrupts their lives each month. Many girls have to take off of school during their time of the month. Often, girls can’t afford the steep cost of menstrual products because in many places their cost is equivalent to a day’s wages for a lot of people across Africa. The lack of widespread accessibility to sanitary products is not a problem unique to Africa. Many women in other developing areas, are forced to miss school, forgo feminine products, and face the shame that comes along with menstruation. Instead of being seen as a necessity, menstrual products are simply a luxury few can afford. For them, menstruation is an un-welcomed nuisance that prevents them from going about their day. Already treated as second class citizens in many countries, periods are a beacon of shame and a hinderance to progress for many girls in developing areas.
From this lack of societal understanding and dire need for girls to have access to sanitary period products came the reusable pad movement. Girls are no longer forced to can scrounge together non absorbent pieces of cloth or whatever they can find that can cause irritation and leave girls susceptible to leaking which leads to further bullying. Reusable pads not only provide much needed menstrual products at an affordable price, but they restore the dignity of a girl during her time of the month. She no longer has to miss school or face the taboos that come along with menstruating across this region.
The best thing about a reusable pad companies such as AfriPads, Tilimbikile and Green Malata Entrepreneurial Village, is that not only are girls being provided with pads, local women are also being provided with jobs.
Local women help to sew the pads that are collected to be sold which provides them with financial freedom that is very important for every African woman to have. Women are able to take their earnings and invest them, pay for their kids school fees, or just provide for the everyday needs of their families. In a region that lags behind in women’s rights, providing women with dignity and empowerment on all fronts is key to the overall success of the continent.
The reusable pad movement is not only for Africa and other developing countries. Anyone can buy reusable pads as a way to help the environment, reduce the potential for skin irritation and save money. A lot of reusable pad makers also donate proceeds to girls in Africa and around the world (that could otherwise not afford all the tools they need during their periods) to ensure that they too have a safe and dignified time of the month. Companies like LunaPads, GladRags, DaysforGirls, HumanityHealing,LittledressesforAfrica and SubzPadz offer ways for women around the world to purchase reusable pads or get involved in helping other women around the world get reusable pads.
With just a little bit of soap and water, girls can easily clean these reusable pads and gain the weeks back that they would normally have spent missing school due to their periods. Together, girls everywhere can join together in feeling safer, healthier, and more confident during their periods with the use of reusable pads!
