AFRICAN GIRLS ARE MISSING SCHOOL WHILE ON THEIR PERIODS EVERY MONTH. I KNOW, LET'S MAKE THEM *CONSUMERS!* THAT'LL FIX IT!

photo by Vince Cook, from The New York Times



I've seen the ads Always is running to promote their project "Protecting Futures" several times now. Here's the gist: girls in Africa are frequently missing school during their periods. They don't have access to clean water and sanitation and are either not allowed, or do not want to attend while menstruating. It can lead to a 10-20% rate of absenteeism.

Holy Shit! Well that's easily fixed, let's send them pads and tampons! Let's send tons and tons of chemical-laden, single-use products that will wind up littering their land, while simultaneously convincing these girls that they simply must have this imported product in order to be able to better themselves.

This component to the campaign is so beyond me, I can hardly believe it. Are we really supposed to believe if we don't send them packs of maxipads there is no choice but to let girls sit in bloodied clothes every month? My God. Prior to Procter & Gamble women had no idea how to manage their periods, right?

From : The New York Times, 11/12/07

"Protecting Futures may be the most complicated project Procter has undertaken yet. FemCare cannot distribute pads unless the girls have private places to change them — so it is building bathrooms. The girls need clean water for hygiene, so in one school it is piping water from two miles away. It built dormitories at a school heavily attended by children from nomadic tribes.

It also needs to find ways to dispose of the pads, in some cases for practical reasons, in other cases for cultural ones. In some parts of Africa, people believe that one’s blood can be used to cast a spell, so girls would fear leaving bloodied pads exposed. Procter will probably install small, sealed incinerators near the new bathrooms, and train teachers to burn the pads.

Procter also plans to send nurses or doctors to the schools four times a year to troubleshoot health problems, provide health education and distribute pads. The Protecting Futures staff is working with local groups to teach girls more about puberty, even when that means training male teachers to address a subject that is often considered off limits.

'Discussions about sexual maturation are just not commonplace in African society,” said Ms. Macharia of the forum. “The parents hope the teachers do it, the teachers hope the parents do it, and the girls wind up thinking that menstruation is associated with doing something wrong.' "

So obviously it's kind of a complicated issue. But come on. Seriously? This is how we think we can be helpful - by teaching girls to consume and then pollute?

So I started poking around some of the mama cloth sites I know to see how this was being addressed by people who are a little more reasonable. Please take a look at the following response to the campaign from the folks at GladRags.

And while you're thinking about it, consider if you might not be willing to switch over to more sustainable feminine hygiene products yourself. I've come to think of the disposables we all think we *have* to have as right up there next to "I *have* to cut down trees to wipe my ass with."

Check out GLADRAGS, LUNAPADS,
and THIS THREAD ON MOTHERINGDOTCOMMUNE with posters favorites. Also be aware, *tons* of work-at-home moms make these. You can support another mom, or make your own!