Global support for menstruation helps achieve women’s independence

Menstruation afflicts women with various symptoms, including anemia, severe abdominal pain, and depression. Nowadays, we can learn how to deal with menstruation and its symptoms correctly through sex education.

On the other hand, in poor areas or countries with a large gender gap, there are women who do not have access to menstrual products. They may suffer from infectious diseases caused by unhygienic alternatives such as old clothes and newspapers. They may even be sexually discriminated and bullied at school due to insufficient education on menstruation. Many women are absent from school during menstruation and drop out of school because they cannot keep up with classes.

Japanese companies related to sanitary products are making various efforts to address these issues and support women’s independence.

Support for Cloth Napkin Production through SNS

Since 2018, Elis, a sanitary product brand sold by Daio Paper Corporation, has been conducting “Heart Support,” a support program to help girls worldwide achieve independence.

In 2021, through a participatory project in which social networking hashtags are linked to support, they provided funds for the production of cloth napkins and opened a community space to support their production. They have worked to improve the environment and awareness surrounding girls by providing opportunities for local women to earn income through selling cloth sanitary pads and spreading knowledge about health, hygiene, and sexuality.

Support through the femtech brand

Doooooooo, a certified non-profit organization that conducts support activities in Africa, and Rinē, a femtech brand operated by Neith Corporation, supported African women during International Women’s Day in 2022. The support includes a donation of Rinē’s absorbent panties to a school in Ghana, provision of technology for the production of cloth sanitary pads, and advice by Neith on the content of sex education classes conducted locally by Doooooooo, including lectures on menstruation, how to use and wash absorbent panties.

Support for a local start-up manufacturing domestically produced sanitary products

As one of its ESG activities, the Kao Group began supporting “Uganda Menstrual Hygiene Improvement Project in partnership” with the United Nations Population Fund in February 2019. Currently, they are contributing to Goal 3 “Health and Welfare for All” and Goal 5 “Gender Equality” of the SDGs through funding “EcoSmart,” which was launched by five young social entrepreneurs in Uganda who manufacture domestically produced sanitary napkins.

True support is not a transitory thing that just ends up being given but is something that encourages the other party to become self-reliant by nurturing them. We hope to see more initiatives like the three case studies presented in this article, where the solution to menstruation problems is seen as a mission, and ongoing support is provided.