Empo-WOMEN-t: Menstrual Health and Hygiene Awareness

The goal of this project was to focus on mothers of adolescent girls of Purok 7C, Ilaya, Alabang. The families live in conditions with minimal water and greater exposure to garbage that is not always properly contained or disposed of in a timely manner. They also struggle every month to buy sanitary napkins when they on their menstruation cycles. Many mothers often cut strips of cloth in order to help their young daughters get through their periods. This was confirmed through pre-event surveys completed by the women. It was imperative that we taught the mothers, who could in turn teach their young daughters and young women in their area, from an early age not to be ashamed of menstruating and to discuss these issues openly. They were taught how to maintain proper feminine hygiene with minimal access to water and how to dispose of the trash properly. There was a discussion on how to use the reusable feminine napkins and learn how this can also help the environment in the long run. They were also introduced to menstrual cups as an alternative to napkins. All of these were discussed by a local health volunteer from the community health center and assisted by nursing students from a local university. The religious influence on the population, namely the influence of Catholicism in the Philippines, has led to stigma and adds to Period Poverty. We felt it was time to teach these women that there are ways to stay healthy and get through their periods safely while saving the environment at the same time. The pros and cons of each product was also discussed before they were given a post-event survey that will help us to plan similar projects in their area or other HAPI chapters.