We are students from the University of Northampton and after being inspired by the work one of our lecturers was doing in the Uganda Red Cross camps, created the ’Every Girl Matters’ project.

In Uganda and many other countries around the world a lack of sanitary products, that we take for granted in the UK, can be a life-restricting monthly event for women & girls and negatively impact on daily activities and self-esteem. Millions of girls living in countries like Uganda skip up to 20% of the school year simply because they cannot afford to buy mainstream sanitary products when they menstruate.

Menstrual health is fundamental to advancing human rights, education and gender equality.

We are planning to visit Uganda Red Cross Camps twice, in 2020 and 2021, to deliver these products ourselves and meet some of the women this affects.

This project is closely linked to the Uganda Red Cross ‘Keep A Girl In School’ project, please see the video below for more information.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GGj-OfE1RdVJADmk1PTL8DhXu8a_LwHp/view?usp=sharing

Before we travel to Uganda, we are hoping to gain the support of our communities to help raise some of the money required to make the care packages for women and girls in Ugandan Red Cross Camps. We are hoping to raise enough money to provide 1000 women with sanitary products.

To do this we are currently planning our first fundraiser in Northamptonshire, date and location to be confirmed.

Throughout the year we will be continuously fundraising, dates to be confirmed, we are also looking for anyone willing to volunteer and help us to reach our goal.

Please read on to see why we need your help to raise money for this important cause.

1. 25% of girls and women in rural Uganda use traditional materials like cloth or paper or tissue, with 10% of girls under 15 years of age depending on makeshift items.

2. Lack of appropriate products is one of the principle reasons that girls do not attend school during their period in Uganda.

3. Over half of Ugandan schoolgirls asked stated that the lack of anywhere to wash or change was affecting their school attendance.

4. A supply of sanitary pads for one girl in Uganda cost one tenth of the family income – a ‘luxury’ most families cannot afford.

5. A study of rural Ugandan females revealed that 2/3 of pad users received the item from sexual partners and 10% of 15 year olds reported engaging in sex for money to buy pads.

References:

1) + 9) Phillips-Howard PA, et al. (2015) Menstrual Needs and Associations with Sexual and Reproductive Risks in Rural Kenyan Females: A Cross-Sectional Behavioral Survey Linked with HIV Prevalence. J Womens Health. (10):801-11.

2) Crofts, T. & Fisher, J. (2012) Menstrual Hygiene in Ugandan schools: An Investigation of Low-cost Sanitary Pads. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. 2 (1), 50-58.

3) Crofts, T. & Fisher, J. (2012) Menstrual Hygiene in Ugandan schools: An Investigation of Low-cost Sanitary Pads. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development.

4) Irise 2013 – An Assessment of Menstrual Hygiene Practices and Absenteeism in Western Uganda.

5) Averbach, S. et al. (2009) Duet for menstrual protection: a feasibility study in Zimbabwe. Contraception. 79 (6), 463–468.