Goal 3 – Health and wellbeing

Women and girls must be able to access affordable and hygienic menstrual products to achieve good health and wellbeing. When they can’t trust makeshift pads consisting of rags, cut up mattresses, leaves or ash they have to accept and cope with the realities of bleeding through during their heaviest days, thus limiting them to the home.

Without good hygienic solutions, girls and women experience loss of dignity and freedom to live their lives and fulfil their potential. Not only are their lives limited but makeshift pads lead to increased incidence of vaginal infections and infections of the reproductive tract (RTIs).  Menstrual hygiene management is a critical component of reproductive health.