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Kampala: Difference between revisions
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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
In Uganda, menstrual health can be an uncomfortable, even taboo, topic for girls. In rural areas, girls miss up to eight days of school each term due to their periods, as many girls lack sanitary pads or adequate washrooms. For rural women, it's common to use a piece of cloth, which is called a "kitenge," which they get from their mothers. Other young women make their own improvised sanitary pads out of cloth nappies or leaves. There are also social stigmas associated with menstruation, and many girls dread getting their periods. According to WaterAid Uganda, "In Uganda, menstruation is usually seen as a private issue and is not usually talked about in public, making it difficult for girls to manage their periods at school."<ref>[http://www.wateraid.org/uk/what-we-do/stories-from-our-work/breaking-the-silence-on-menstruation Breaking the Silence on Menstruation]</ref> There are many organizations in Uganda that are working to provide women with menstrual health solutions (like low-cost reusable pads or menstrual cups), both in urban and rural areas. Many of these organizations also aim to educate women on the options available to them, and they wish to make the conversation on menstruation more open and de-stigmatized. | |||
For more information, you can read this [https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/may/28/menstruation-girls-education-uganda-sanitation article] on the challenges faced by menstruating girls in Uganda (and the organizations working to help them. You can [https://www.omprakash.org/blog/uganda-the-taboo-of-menstruation-and-an-exploration-of-womanhood read an account] of one volunteer's work in Uganda, which focused on menstrual health and education. You can also [http://www.ip-watch.org/2014/03/13/makapads-helping-disadvantaged-girls-and-women-in-uganda/ read about one doctor's work] to make pads for disadvantaged Ugandan women and girls. | |||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||
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In Kampala, you can easily find pads in stores. It's much more difficult to find tampons, though you can find them in some stores (try Game store in Lugogo, Shoprite and Nakumatt). If you want a menstrual cup, you can buy a FleurCup from [https://www.facebook.com/Menstrual-Cups-Better-than-Tampons-Pads-209841935862473/ Moyo Jena], a group based out of Kampala. They can be contacted through their Facebook page or by email: moyojena2013@gmail.com. There appears to be no official sellers of menstrual cup brands, like Lunette, MoonCup and DivaCup. There are also many sellers of RubyCup in [[Nairobi]], if you happen to make a trip to Kenya. | In Kampala, you can easily find pads in stores. It's much more difficult to find tampons, though you can find them in some stores (try Game store in Lugogo, Shoprite and Nakumatt). If you want a menstrual cup, you can buy a FleurCup from [https://www.facebook.com/Menstrual-Cups-Better-than-Tampons-Pads-209841935862473/ Moyo Jena], a group based out of Kampala. They can be contacted through their Facebook page or by email: moyojena2013@gmail.com. There appears to be no official sellers of menstrual cup brands, like Lunette, MoonCup and DivaCup. There are also many sellers of RubyCup in [[Nairobi]], if you happen to make a trip to Kenya. | ||
Here are some organizations working on menstrual issues in Uganda: | |||
* [http://www.afripads.com/ AfriPads - Uganda Office]: "We are a social enterprise that specializes in the local manufacture and global supply of reusable sanitary pads as a cost-effective menstrual hygiene solution for millions of women and girls worldwide. AFRIpads is headquartered in Uganda, with sales offices in Kenya and Malawi." Address: Plot 28 Ntinda View Crescent, Naguru Kampala. Uganda. T +256 (0)392 174 561 | |||
* [http://womena.dk/ WoMena]: They provide education/counseling on menstrual health and they distribute RubyCup menstrual cups to women in Uganda. "WoMena is an NGO working with social issues in developing contexts, focusing on menstrual management, family planning and reproductive health." Phone: +256 (0) 200 902098. Email: info@womena.dk. Address: Mobutu Road, Makindye Hill, Kampala, Uganda | |||
* [https://www.facebook.com/menstrualcupuganda/ Menstrual Cup Uganda]: "MCU is a non-profit organization that distributes free menstrual cups to Ugandan girls and women from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, we also supply training in how to use and clean the cups in a safe and hygienic way. The training also include information about menstruation, adolescence and reproductive health and rights." Email: menstrualcupuganda@gmail.com | |||
* [http://www.wateraid.org/uk/what-we-do/stories-from-our-work/breaking-the-silence-on-menstruation Water Aid Uganda]: "WaterAid Uganda has been working with 40 schools in the slums of Kampala, the capital. As well as providing safe water and sanitation facilities, we’re promoting menstrual hygiene in schools to empower students and teachers to talk about the subject." | |||
* [http://graceworksinitiative.org/index.php/2016/10/24/feminine-health/ Feminine Health Management @ Grace Works Initiative]: "GWI implements a series of specially designed approaches to promote women’s health with specific focus on menstrual care and elimination of female Genital mutilation. This is a unique and innovative program which combines interactive education with training sessions for women and girls in emergency situations, prisons, schools and remote villages. Activities include; Equipping adolescent girls with basic skills on how to make low-cost sanitary pads with locally available materials and raising awareness of the health risks of female genital mutilation, as well as counseling and support to victims of FGM." Phone (+256) 414-665993. Email: uganda@graceworksinitiative.org. | * [http://graceworksinitiative.org/index.php/2016/10/24/feminine-health/ Feminine Health Management @ Grace Works Initiative]: "GWI implements a series of specially designed approaches to promote women’s health with specific focus on menstrual care and elimination of female Genital mutilation. This is a unique and innovative program which combines interactive education with training sessions for women and girls in emergency situations, prisons, schools and remote villages. Activities include; Equipping adolescent girls with basic skills on how to make low-cost sanitary pads with locally available materials and raising awareness of the health risks of female genital mutilation, as well as counseling and support to victims of FGM." Phone (+256) 414-665993. Email: uganda@graceworksinitiative.org. | ||