As March wraps up, marking the end of Women’s Month, we shine a light on the journeys of girls, young mothers, and a  38-year-old grandmother from Butaleja district. With other stakeholders, they urge donors, the government, and well-wishers to invest in women’s menstrual health, echoing the all-inclusive approach that AFRIpads offers.  Menstrual kits, AFRIpads Underwear, girl talk books, training, period health education, and a group for menstrual discussions are all included in this package. AFRIpads collaborated with Universal Health and Development Foundation to carry out an outr ..read more

In this interview, Gloria Nawanyaga, a Ugandan HIV activist, discusses her experiences with menstrual products and living with HIV. She provided AFRIpads with great feedback on our reusable pads and how we can best serve the community. Interviewed by Patricia Humura from the Partnerships and Communications team online on February 5th, 2024. Patricia (AFRIpads): It is a sunny Monday morning full of energy. And yes, I know where it comes from. It is because I have an interview with Gloria Nawanyaga, a remarkable HIV activist. She is excited to share her experience using our products and learn mo ..read more

Young university student, Yawa Lilly Bismarck, shares how AFRIpads menstrual products motivated her current study and career choices. Meet Yawa Lilly Bismarck, a 26-year-old pursuing a Master of Public Health in Reproductive and Child Health in Gondar, Ethiopia. Passionate about Sexual and Reproductive Health, Lilly seizes every opportunity to educate adolescent girls in refugee settlements and her homeland, South Sudan. However, this wasn’t always the case. Lilly’s anxieties and fear around periods were eased by the support of teachers, menstrual health trainers, reading on menstrual health ..read more

Definitions Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Is any harmful act or threatened act directed at an individual or group based on their gender (or perceived gender). GBV is a serious violation of human rights and can lead to life-long repercussions for survivors and their communities. For instance, a robust body of research has demonstrated a wide-range of negative mental health consequences of GBV—including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and suicidality—as well as intergenerational impacts (e.g., witnessing or experiencing GBV in childhood can increase risk of violence perpetration and victimization in ad ..read more

In our world of social and economic empowerment, specifically aiming to make a difference in the lives of girls and women, our AFRIpads factory in Kitengesa, Uganda, has now been proven to spread benefits beyond the factory walls to the broader community: lowering the gender employment gap, improving school attendance for girls, and increasing purchasing power and savings behavior. We thank the students and mentors at the University of British Columbia who recently completed a 5-year economic impact study looking into the effects, if any, of our rural factory outside Masaka, Uganda. This post ..read more

Involving men and boys in menstrual knowledge and training activities is an integral part of combating the many factors that contribute to gender inequality. Gender inequality is the unequal power relations between men and women, resulting in women and girls’ voices not being heard during decision making within households, communities, and development programs, especially when it comes to reproductive health.  The barriers specific to menstruation and menstrual health and hygiene include:      Myths and misconceptions that are the result of cultural taboos and con ..read more

Love Stories and Yoni team up to support women in Uganda with the AFRIpads Foundation In support of Menstrual May and Menstrual Hygiene Day coming up on May 28th, Love Stories Intimates, a leading premium lingerie brand, has joined forces with Yoni, the innovative fem care brand, to create period-proof underwear raising funds to support the AFRIpads Foundation and give back to communities in need. “From the beginning, Love Stories has been rooted in the idea of challenging societal norms for women. Together with Yoni, we can harness our power as female-led brands and use our voices to norma ..read more

2023 is bringing many new things to AFRIpads! A letter from our founders… “We founded AFRIpads on the unwavering conviction that an experience as normal and natural as menstruation simply cannot stand as a barrier to achieving gender equality, nor to women and girls around the world realizing their full potential, every day of the month.   This is what we set out to change as young entrepreneurs in rural Uganda in 2008. On this 15 year journey – together with our incredible team, investors, stakeholders and partners – we have grown AFRIpads from a pilot project; to a pioneer of the m ..read more

Lillian Bagala, Regional Director, Irise Institute East Africa “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” Maya Angelou  In 2020,  we introduced the “Partner of the Month” digital series to recognize and celebrate our partners and their accomplishments. Over the past two years, we have introduced to you over 20 Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) champions, and partners across the globe who are working tirelessly to advance the period positive movement.  In the past year, we acknowledged the ..read more

We are a little late to the party, but nonetheless, Happy New Year! 2022 was a really busy and impactful year for AFRIpads. So, before we begin sharing with you a newsletter on our exciting 2023 plans, we wanted to take a moment to look back at some of our favorite moments and AFRIpads partnerships from last year. February 2022: IOM Mozambique and AFRIpads Here at AFRIpads, we believe that the best way to build knowledge on Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) is to speak directly to women and girls about their own experiences. We were therefore so excited when the International Organizatio ..read more