Did you know that nearly 25% of Ugandan girls drop out of school when they begin menstruation? School absenteeism rises to 28% when girls in Uganda are on their period compared to 8% during non-period days (Menstrual Hygiene Day, 2023)
What is a menstrual cup?
$50K Uganda Menstrual Cup Grant
Period poverty refers to lack of access to menstrual health products, education, hygiene facilities, waste management, or any combination of these. Simply put, period poverty costs women and girls too much and it doesn’t have to be this way.
Our Goal: Provide rural Ugandan women and girls with 5,000 medical-grade reusable silicone menstrual cups along with sexual and reproductive health education. The cost of this project is $50,000. We will be purchasing the menstrual cups from CouldYou? Cup, a non-profit organization that fights period poverty all over the world by providing menstrual cups and sexual health and hygiene education.
How You Can Help: Rotary Club of Empowering Our Girls is partnering with more than 10 Rotary Clubs in Uganda to fund this project. We are looking for at least 10 partner clubs in the United States to match the enthusiasm of the Ugandan clubs in order to make this grant happen!
Ready to commit?! We would love to have you on this journey!
This grant supports the Rotary health and hygiene area of focus, specifically related to menstrual health. It is a sustainable project by providing menstrual products that last 10 years and have a 91% acceptability rate. This project also addresses the lack of education around menstrual health and hygiene with our partners providing training of leaders in local communities in Uganda that can continue to educate and support the girls after the items are distributed.
Period poverty in Uganda, as in many parts of the world, is a significant issue for several reasons:
- Health and Hygiene: Many individuals lack access to affordable and adequate menstrual products, which can lead to health complications. Inadequate menstrual hygiene can increase the risk of infections and other health issues.
- Education: Period poverty can affect school attendance and performance. Girls may miss school during their menstrual cycle due to a lack of menstrual products or the facilities to manage their periods hygienically. This can lead to a disruption in their education and impact their long-term opportunities.
- Economic Impact: Managing menstruation without proper resources can impose a financial burden on families. Additionally, the inability to attend school or work due to menstrual discomfort or stigma can affect economic productivity and personal income.
- Social Stigma and Mental Health: Menstrual health is often surrounded by stigma and taboo. This stigma can contribute to feelings of shame or embarrassment, affecting mental health and self-esteem.
- Gender Equality: Period poverty is closely linked to gender equality. Addressing this issue is crucial for promoting gender equity and empowering women and girls to fully participate in society without being held back by menstruation-related challenges.
Efforts to combat period poverty in Uganda involve improving access to menstrual products, bettering sanitation facilities, and educating communities to reduce stigma and promote understanding of menstrual health.
Why Offer Menstrual cups?
- Convenience: Cups can be worn for 8-12 hours before emptying and rinsing clean before reinserting.
- Sustainable: A menstrual cup lasts for 10 years and uses only a small pot of boiling water to sterilize between cycles.
- Comfort: There is no smell and once inserted properly users state it’s practically imperceptible to feel while wearing.
- Leakage: Because period cups seal against the vaginal wall, they are significantly less likely to leak than other methods.
- Cost: 1 cup lasts 10 years vs reusable pads lasting 1 to 7 years or single-use plastic-based products (disposable pads and tampons) that cost 6% or more of monthly income.
- High acceptance: 91% acceptability rate – meaning that 91% of the girls who are provided a cup and education continue to use the cup.
