Dignity Period Founder and President Dr. Lewis Wall speaks with Claire Navarro on Washington University of St. Louis’s Arts and Sciences podcast “Hold That Thought” about the challenges faced by girls in the northern Ethiopia region of Tigray surrounding menstruation and what Dignity Period is doing about them.
While menstruation is an uncomfortable topic for many girls around the world, taboos surrounding periods in Tigray are especially pronounced. Cultural stigmatization coupled with lack of access to sanitary menstrual hygiene products causes many girls in Tigray to feel confusion, shame, and embarrassment, frequently leading them to miss school and even drop out entirely. As Dr. Wall points out, this is a detriment not only to the girls who are being deprived of a quality education, but also the region as whole, as half the population is not being fully utilized.
Dignity Period approaches these issues holistically and sustainably through both the Mariam Seba Sanitary Products Factory and Mekelle University. Mariam Seba hires local Ethiopian women to produce reusable pads that are then distributed to girls in the region. Mekelle University carries out anthropological research to ensure that response is informed, respectful, and feasible.
You can find out more and get involved by following us on Facebook.
