Her Health, Her Future
RACE Uganda & Days for Girls International
Challenge
In Uganda, young women on average miss 8-24 school days per-year due to menstruation. The lack of menstrual hygiene products and access to sanitary facilities can lead to:
- Embarrassment and shaming
- Academic setbacks
- School dropout
- Fewer future job opportunities
Students regularly use unsanitary materials during their period, including used cloths, cotton, toilet tissue and natural materials, such as leaves and dirt. Around 65% of women in Uganda cannot afford sanitary pads and only 1 of 5 girls completes secondary education.
Solution
In partnership with Real Action for Community Empowerment Uganda (RACE) and Days for Girls International, TEL is tackling the many challenges that young women face during menstruation. Race and TEL have teamed up with students to perform a needs assesment and co-design female hygiene and WASH solutions, aiming to create healthier learning environments where young women have access to the support, health products and facilities they need to stay in school and succeed.
The program consists of three components: a social enterprise to manufacture reusable sanitary pads, a faculty-supported curricula to teach menstrual hygiene management to female students and health awareness to male students; and a community-supported effort to provide clean water and sanitation facilities to schools and surrounding community members.
