Menstrual hygiene management: Workshops at schools
The challenge
In Tanzania, a lack of education about menstruation, non-affordable menstrual hygiene products and taboos mean that girls and women suffer from health problems. Non-privileged women are often forced to use alternative menstrual hygiene products, usually makeshift solutions such as pieces of cloth.
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Girls often do not attend school during menstruation and thus miss up to 20% of school time. This in turn has a negative impact on their social status in society. Promoting menstrual hygiene worldwide is therefore an important step towards improving the health and well-being of women and girls and promoting gender equality and sustainable development.
Our goal
Students, teachers and principals have knowledge about menstruation
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Students have all capacities for menstrual hygiene management. Infections are avoided and we want to break taboos.
Participants get to know affordable menstrual hygiene products.
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​Participants learn that costs for menstrual hygiene management can be reduced through reusable products. The access to such products is ensured for girls who are affected most by poverty.
In the long-term school attendance during menstruation is increased.
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No access to menstrual hygiene products and taboos lead to low school attendance of girls during their menstruation. With our workshops we want to change this.
How do we reach that?
Workshops with girls, boys, teachers and parents
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The menstruation workshops are held by Evodia and our clinic doctor. The basics of menstruation and pregnancy are taught and menstrueal hygiene products are presented, including their advantages and disadvantages and how to use them safely and hygienically.
Access to menstrual hygiene products
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We obtain reusable sanitary pads from the local NGO Womenchoice. Those who are most affected by poverty receive the reusable pads free of charge.
And how does this look like?
In the first round of workshops we were able to reach more than 1000 students. The information and demonstration of the hygiene products met with great interest. The separate question and answer sessions for girls and boys were also important for all participants. Days after the workshops, girls came back to Kivuko employees to have more questions answered. School management and some parents' councils were also reached. Over 100 girls received free reusable sanitary pads.
