100 Vulnerable Women And Adolescent Girls From The Most Vulnerable Community Groups In Garowe, Somalia, Trained On How To Make Their Own Reusable Sanitary Pads

Gender inequality, cultural taboos, poverty, and a lack of basic services undermine many girls’ and women’s ability to meet their health and hygiene needs in Somalia. Period poverty is a widespread problem affecting countless girls and women in Somalia, largely among vulnerable and marginalized communities such as internally displaced people, refugees, and people with disabilities. The burden of devastating humanitarian consequences as a result of the prolonged and severe drought conditions in Somalia further accentuated the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products and left young women from marginalized communities without access to period products like sanitary pads.

 

Sanitary pads are expensive and often inaccessible, and some girls resort to managing their periods with pieces of rags or paper, which are often unhygienic and uncomfortable, causing chafing, urinary tract infections, reproductive tract infections, and other reproductive health problems. Yet, ensuring girls’ and women’s access to safe menstrual hygiene products is key to protecting girls’ rights to education and promoting girls’ and women’s empowerment and gender equality.

 

In response to this challenge, Hawa Feminist Coalition has been addressing these challenges, and with the support of the Australian Government, trained 100 vulnerable women and adolescent girls from the most vulnerable community groups, such as internally displaced people, refugees, and people with disabilities in Garowe, Somalia, on how to make washable, reusable sanitary pads using commonly found materials. 50 of these vulnerable women and adolescent girls come from the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Garowe, 25 vulnerable women and adolescent girls from the refugees, particularly Yemeni refugees in Garowe, and 25 vulnerable women and adolescent girls from people with disabilities and host communities in Garowe.

 

The main objective of this training provided for these vulnerable women and adolescent girls was to promote accessibility to menstrual hygiene products among women and adolescent girls from the most vulnerable community groups in Somalia, particularly among these communities in Garowe, Puntland, Somalia.

 

 

We hired a professional trainer who facilitated the rigorous and interactive five-days training held for these 100 women and adolescent girls in Garowe, from April 26, 2024, to May 1, 2024, to May 5, 2024, and covered the following important topics and practical sessions:

1. 1. Introduction to the menstrual cycle, normal and abnormal periods, and the risks associated with poor menstrual hygiene management. Discussions about the environmental impact of disposable menstrual products, the advantages and disadvantages of reusable sanitary pads, and the reasons why hand-made sanitary pads are more affordable than those made by sewing machines.

1. 1. The various types of reusable sanitary pads available, as well as their different materials. The various locally sourced materials that are suitable for pad making. Various methods and materials, including leftover quilting cotton, linen, hemp, flannel, fleece, and thicker, more stable knits that can be used for making reusable menstrual products. Other materials, such as water-proof or water-resistant materials for the bottom of the outer layer of the pad.

1. 1. The methods for maintaining and cleaning the reusable sanitary pads, which include rinsing them in cold water, storing them in a wetbag or bucket, soaking heavily stained pads in water with salt or stain remover, washing them on a decent-length cycle at no more than 30 °C, and allowing them to air dry. The importance of quality control and maintaining the specific standards when producing reusable sanitary pads.

1. 1. Practical lessons on the step-by-step process of making reusable sanitary pads, including the materials, pad design, hand sewing techniques, and the necessary measurements to achieve the right pad sizes as well as how adherence to specific guidelines in order to produce high-quality, reusable sanitary pads.

1. 1. Marketing skills and start-up plans of the trainees, followed by a networking session that fostered a sense of community and solidarity among participants from diverse backgrounds.

 

A Networking and Partnership-Building Session Organized Among the Trained Women and Adolescent Girls

 

Hawa Feminist Coalition believes in the collective power of women and girls and their solidarity, and this approach has been tested with positive impact and success. We have seen that when women work in groups and movements, they are much more successful, resilient, sustainable, and tend to drive than when they are working alone or individually. For this reason, we included and conducted a session for the trainees and encouraged them to have networking, partnership and form or establish groups among themselves to strive for togetherness, and drive business. During this session, the trainees formed groups and decided to collaborate and pool their skills, resources, and expertise as detailed below:

1. 1. 21 trainees formed a strong group and named their group as “Xaali Reusable Pads Production Group”.

1. 1. 17 trainees formed the second strong group and named their group as “Milgo Sisters”.

1. 1. 14 trainees formed the third group and named their group as “Dhool Group”.

1. 1. 11 trainees formed the fourth group and named their group as “Carfoon Sisters Enterprise”.

1. 1. And 37 opted to work in small groups.

 

After successful completion of training, we held a ceremony in which we adjourned the training and awarded certificates of completion for the trainees. We awarded each trainee a certificate of completion, demonstrating their successful completion of the five days of rigorous and interactive training held in Garowe, Somalia, from April 26, 2024, to May 1, 2024, to May 5, 2024.

 

What Is Next After the Training?

 

Following the successful completion of the training, Hawa Feminist Coalition will purchase and distribute 500 kits for these trained vulnerable women and adolescent girls as start-up for their business of producing their own reusable sanitary pads after the acquiring the knowledge and skills of making such. Each trainee will receive 5 kits each containing of design papers, cotton fabric, waterproof fabric, absorbent fabric, thread, scissors, needles, fasteners, and pins, which they can use for making at least 50 pieces of reusable sanitary pads.

 

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