Destigmatisation of menstruation - compostable sanitary pads in Nepal
A project from NIDISI gGmbH in Ramgram, Nepal
Destigmatising Menstruation by producing and selling compostable pads and amplifying well-being through awareness campaigns on menstrual health management and gender equality.
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About this project
Celia Röthig from NIDISI gGmbH is responsible for this project
Sparśa is a women-led social enterprise producing and distributing innovative, fully compostable menstrual pads made from banana fibres – an easily available agricultural waste. The generated surpluses will financially sustain menstrual awareness campaigns delivered to secondary public school students and community discussions targeting the adult population to fight menstrual stigma and discrimination.
Development problem
Development problem
Menstruating women in Nepal are considered impure and polluting. 89% of Nepali women report experiencing restrictions related to their menstruation. Many are forced to sleep separately from their families or banished to designated menstrual sheds (the infamous Chhaupadi culture), which has severe physical and psychological consequences. There is limited education about reproductive health in schools. Poor menstrual practices directly result in irritations or other health problems, including fatal toxic shock syndrome or infertility.
Lack of effective absorbent materials is one of the main reasons for school and work absenteeism, further enforcing female exclusion and widening the gap between genders. Women often report that their movement and participation outside households are limited or withheld during menses.
Our solution
Our solution
We developed fully compostable menstrual pads with an absorbent layer made of banana fibres, commonly considered an ‘agricultural waste’. Their disposal does not require waste infrastructure commonly lacking or insufficient in Nepal.
But delivering products is not enough. There is no real change without education. NGOs, activists and public institutions are increasingly raising awareness about the harmful effects of poor menstrual health management (MHM) on women’s health, safety and dignity. However, this essential work requires a steady flow of donations, which enforces typical North-South dependencies. In our social business model, surpluses generated are redirected to awareness campaigns for boys and girls and community discussions for adults.
Status quo
The construction of the banana fibre extraction unit in Tribeni was terminated in June 2023, and the pad factory, will be finished in December 2023.
- the pads are ready to go into production
- Production start: Feb `24
- 7.000 people reached through awareness campaigns
This is what you make possible with your donation:
- While most of the pad production facility is funded, there still are some gaps for some essential machinery.
- Your donation can help cover the operating costs of the pad production (production aim 2024: > 50.000)
- By building up a network of young, motivated ambassadors within their communities, we aim to amplify our impact and reach over >10.000 people within one year of the program. Start point: summer ´24.
https://nidisi.com/menstruation/
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