1. Project description

Sanitary pads serve as essential menstrual products, but their composition of non-biodegradable materials and lack of reusability contribute to pad pollution when improperly discarded. Throughout a woman\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s lifetime, approximately 1.5 quintals of pad waste are generated, with each pad taking an alarming 500 to 700 years to decompose. Moreover, the production process involves the use of harmful substances such as polymers, bisphenol A (BPA), and bleaches, which have been linked to cancer and reproductive issues when used frequently. Therefore, it is imperative to raise awareness among women and girls about the potential risks associated with regular use of synthetic pads. To combat these challenges, promoting reusable cloth pads emerges as an effective solution due to their affordability and reduced environmental impact.

2. Project progress up to now

Due to some technical challenges, our project\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s overall schedule experienced a delay. However, despite this setback, our group, WOMINE, has achieved significant milestones to date.

Selection of the schools:

Our projects mainly target young adolescent school girls, specifically in grades 7 to 9, in underprivileged settings. After careful consideration, we chose to focus on government-operated schools. After an extensive selection process, we successfully identified two schools in the Bhaktapur District of Nepal that align with our target criteria: Ganesh Secondary School and Adarsha Secondary School. Final meetings with these schools, where we discussed and finalized our programs, took place on 18th and 23rd July, respectively. Due to ongoing school examinations, the main knowledge dissemination session and the distribution of reusable pads will be conducted after the second week of August.

Exploration of different types of cloth pad developers in Nepal.

To ensure the success of our distribution, we explored various cloth pad producers in Nepal. Our aim was to distribute reusable pads to at least 100 school girls. After virtual meetings and subsequent on-site visits, we meticulously assessed three suppliers, and WOMINE concluded that the cloth pads from Khushi Enterprise met our quality standards.

Development of awareness materials

Another vital aspect of our project involved the development of training and awareness materials. Our dedicated team has drafted informative pamphlets and brochures. These materials cover essential topics such as the health implications of traditional non-reusable sanitary pads available in the market and the environmental impact they pose. Additionally, we included a user manual for using cloth pads effectively. To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information presented, our team collected data from various organizations actively working in this field.

3. Project plan forward

As mentioned above WOMINE group is already on the verge of final preparation for the significant activities to be conducted in target schools. Right after the final preparation, our team will conduct the awareness classes after the second week of August via presentation and the materials developed, like pamphlets and brochures among young girls about the health and environmental implications due to the use of sanitary pads. Besides this, the 100-plus girls will be supported by cloth pads and also get feedback about those pads. Even during awareness classes, the female students will learn how to use and clean the cloth pads. WOMINE will also produce the feedback video, which will indeed help in promoting the reusable cloth pad among young ones and decrease pad pollution.