WHAT SEATPACKS HAVE TO DO WITH MENSTRUATION AND CLOSING THE GENDER EQUALITY GAP?
“Naturally, we immediately sprung into action. Each SeatPack after this visit has been fitted with a “Menstrual Purse”: a water-proof pouch that allows girls to discreetly change and keep menstrual pads while at school without having to miss days of class consistently each month.”
UNICEF estimates that 1 in every 10 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their period, which averagely adds up to as much as 20% of a school year missed due to period absence for female students. (UNICEF, 2022). The effects on literacy and competitive confidence due to this absence can be long term for most girls.
On our visit to BidiBidi Refugee Settlement camp in Yumbe district to distribute SeatPacks, our production lead, Daphine inquired why the girls miss so frequently. The most repetitive answer was down to the cost of washing soap. Most parents would rather that the girls stay home and not pay $2 to take blood stains from the school uniform every month. Majority of these families living under $1 a day, the financial decision here seems critical.
Naturally, we immediately sprung into action. Each SeatPack after this visit has been fitted with a “Menstrual Purse”: a water-proof pouch that allows girls to discreetly change and keep menstrual pads while at school without having to miss days of class consistently each month.
Female students in Madi Akolo district after an afternoon class session with their SeatPacks.
Join us to increase the impact that a simple school bag can have by reducing the number of days missed by female students due to a manageable challenge.
Reach us at info@zetuafrica.org or learn more via www.zetuafrica.org.
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