"I was impressed to see that the girls felt comfortable and confident enough to raise intimate questions, and that they helped each other in answering them." Rasmus Hauge, WoMena Communications Advisor 

WoMena Uganda is currently implementing a menstrual health component in selected schools as part of the wider Buikwe District Fishing Communities Development Programme (BDFCDP). The programme targets rural fishing communities through WASH an Education solutions, supported by the Icelandic Embassy in Kampala in collaboration with the district, under the Icelandic Development Agency (ICEIDA). 

WoMena Uganda has introduced menstrual health education to all girls in the four secondary schools that are part of the BDFCDP, around 1300 girls in total. After the menstrual health training, the girls received a menstrual cup and a package of reusable pads. WoMena has completed follow-up visits in all schools, and we are now doing data collection to track the girls’ menstrual experiences after the intervention have started. After ending this phase, the project will be scaled up into the upper classes of 28 primary schools in Buikwe in 2019.

Rasmus Hauge has written a blogpost, sharing his personal impression from the field. Read the full personal impression through the link below.

Photos: Activities at Nyenga Senior Secondary School, pictures taken by Rasmus Hauge. 

The ZOA Imvepi Menstrual cup Scale up project was kicked off conducted by ZOA and WoMena Uganda as part of a project led by ZOA in consortium with IAS (International Aid Services) and MI (Malteser International), funded by the United States Government. The project benefited 416 people among whom were direct beneficiaries and support persons.

Read the full update to learn more about the 3 main project activities that included training of different stakeholders and sensitization of communities about Menstrual Health Management and the menstrual cup use and care.

Photo: ZOA and WoMena training at Imvepi Refugee Settlement, Lanya Primary School, Arua District.

On 23-24 Aug 2018, WoMena participated in a Global research collaborative meeting on menstrual health in adolescents at WHO Headquarters in Geneva hosted by WHO's Department of Reproductive Health and Research (RHR)/Human Reproduction (HRP). The objectives of the meeting were to review the recommendations from WHO's Gender Advisory Panel on developing a WHO portfolio of work in  menstrual health and define WHO RHR/HRP’s work in this area.

The meeting shared where we are today with regards to MHM, where we want the field to be in ten years and what it will take to get there. WoMena's ED Marianne Tellier did a joint presentation on Menstrual Health Financing with Flo Carson of DFID and Marni Sommer of Columbia University suggesting areas of related work for WHO. The meeting was a great succes and menstruation is now firmly a part of WHO’s agenda.

Photo: Global research collaborative meeting at WHO HQ in Geneva, Switzerland