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| COO's Unite! SHE COO, Global CeCe Camacho with SHE COO, Rwanda Julian Kayibanda. |
I traveled to Rwanda to visit my SHE colleagues back in
August and came back optimistic and inspired.
One afternoon as all our staff were walking to lunch (we were looking
for the Africa Bagel Company), I
couldn’t help but notice this public service sign on the side of the road.
It was of a family gathered together. The caption of the sign read: “Talk to your
children about sex, it could save their lives.”
The sign was sponsored by the
Imbuto Foundation, an organization founded by Rwandan’s First Lady,
Jennette Kagame. I must admit that I was
intrigued. Investigating their website I
learned more about the impetus behind this sign. After perusing their various health, youth,
and education programs I discovered it came out of a project to support
adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights. The project works in
partnerships with schools and health centers as “agents of change” to increase
health knowledge and impact behaviors.
SHE is an advocate of girl’s education as well as a
proponent of talking with girls about their sexual and reproductive health and
how menstruation is natural process of the reproductive cycle. However, around
the world, talking about menstruation remains taboo and having open
conversations is often difficult. Because of this deafening silence, menstrual
hygiene management is a challenge for girls and women. Girls and women lack access to affordable
pads, proper sanitation facilities and the reproductive and sexual health
information to understand why they are menstruating and how to manage it. Ultimately,
girls and women are denied their rights to health, education and gender equity,
sanitation and dignity.
At SHE we are breaking the silence. A greater awareness of
menstrual hygiene demands that both men and women—fathers and mothers as well
as teachers alike— talk with their daughters and students. SHE is working in
partnership with many stakeholders at both the community, national and global
level to ensure this. While I was visiting, Julian, SHE’s COO in Rwanda, and I met
with the Ministry of Education’s School Health Plan Committee to advocate for
the inclusion of menstrual hygiene education in the schools and training for
teachers. SHE was met with support,
enthusiasm and partnership opportunities.
SHE is also a co-publisher of the resource book Menstrual
Hygiene Matters which is now available on the WaterAid website. This
valuable tool for practitioners includes nine modules and toolkits covering key
aspects of menstrual hygiene for different settings such as communities,
schools and emergencies.
At SHE we are also innovating. Talking about menstrual hygiene also needs to
be coupled with an effective and affordable menstrual product that girls like. SHE is
going from small to industrial-scale production of our SHE LaunchPads. We
will be producing 300,000 SHE LaunchPads for 3,000 Rwandan school
girls attending 10 schools in the Kayonza district in the next couple of
months.
Clearly, the time in Rwanda is ripe for supporting girl’s
menstrual hygiene. We believe the SHE LaunchPad will create economic
opportunities in Rwandan communities as well as enhance girls’ educational
opportunities, impact health while restoring dignity. I must admit I couldn’t help but envision a SHE
public service sign of a girl gathered with her mother and father. The caption of the sign would read: “Break
the menstrual silence and talk with your daughter, it could keep her in
school.”
Join us now in making this
happen - support our SHE28 campaign and break the silence. Period.
Optimistic and Inspired,
CeCe
