story by: CREZ DICKENS

Breaking the silence is the mantra of this month's article on a Rotary Action Group on menstrual health and hygiene.

For women and young girls all over the world, their monthly period is an often-unwanted nuisance. Many can’t afford the items needed to keep themselves clean and hygienic.

So the Rotary Action Group on Menstrual Health and Hygiene (RAGMHH) was formed by a group of Rotarians on a WhatsApp chat page. Their goal was to enhance the dignity for women by breaking the cycle of dependence on husbands and parents for needed provisions, reduce waste and period poverty.

The RAG membership is concentrated in India, Nigeria, the US, Uganda and the UK. Last year the group supported 53 projects, six district grant projects, and 25 other Rotary-led events.

RAGMHH Medical Director, Dr Meenakski Bharat, created educational presentations and informational material for members to disseminate. Zoom meetings on menstrual health and hygiene and other women-related topics have been held across the globe.

Founder and Chair Shamila Nagarajan, a member of Tower Hamlets Rotary Club in London said she wanted to connect female Rotarians all over the world to raise awareness and deliver women-oriented projects.

She said: “We have to raise people’s knowledge of period poverty in particular,

break taboos held by many men in this issue, build dialogue and encourage environmentally sustainable, reusable and cost-effective monthly products.”

Menstrual hygiene management is now a globally-recognised public health challenge. Girls with special needs and disabilities disproportionately don’t have access to facilities for proper menstrual hygiene.

Shamila added that educating boys and girls on menstruation at an early age at home and school promotes healthy habits and breaks stigmas around a very natural process.

Their website talks about promoting subsidised or free menstrual cups, biodegradable sanitary cloths and reusable napkin pads. The site promotes the idea of creating micro businesses that could help women and bring the value of earning money to communities.

This RAG group collaborates with the WASH Rotary Action Group to enable supplies of water to schools and villages and to lavatories. They also work closely with the environmental group Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG) to implement menstrual cups that help to reduce waste and costs each month.

Dr Bharat explained that the group’s goal must be to enhance the dignity of women and girls, enabling them to live a self-determined lifestyle, gain independence and improve their lives, especially in under-privileged areas.

Even in the UK, there are women who struggle to finance their monthly protective and sanitary items. It can make women feel degraded and unclean.

Thousands of pounds of products are dumped on land fill sites creating biological issues. Education is key here, says Chair Shamila Nagarajan.

If Rotary clubs would like to organise a project, it must be sustainable and show a needs assessment and measurable success. The Rotary Action Group can help, advise and guide. RAGMHH operates in compliance with Rotary International policies but is not an agency of, or controlled by Rotary International.