Changing Perceptions around Menstrual Hygiene
Community members welcome visitors from USAID, CARE, and Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF) with a traditional dance. Photo credit: Stephanie Ogden/CARE
Summary
Every May 28, Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated around the world to combat stigma and raise awareness about the vital role MHM plays in ensuring health, dignity, and opportunity for women and girls around the globe. Please join USAID and its partners in celebrating the transformative power of improved menstrual hygiene to unlock empowerment opportunities for women and girls.
Last December, Sylvia Cabus, Senior Gender Advisor at USAID’s Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, traveled to visit She’s SMART project communities in Dowa and Kasungu, Malawi, about two hours from the capital city of Lilongwe. The program engages farmer-producer groups and village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) in both gender equality and women’s empowerment dialogues. The program’s goal is to address the taboos, traditional beliefs, and practices related to menstruation. The project is implemented under the Water & Development Alliance, a partnership between USAID and the Coca-Cola Company and Foundation.
To learn more about Sylvia's trip and the She's SMART project, please read the full article in Global Waters on Medium.