In Lebanon’s refugee camps, women and girls face a hidden crisis: period poverty. The country’s economic turmoil has made menstrual products unaffordable for many, forcing them to choose between food and sanitary items. Recognizing this urgent need, several organizations have stepped in to help.
Nadirah Talati, an optometrist working with UK charity Jigsaw, identified the issue during her visits to Ein el-Hilweh, Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp. She began distributing “dignity bags” containing essential hygiene items, including sanitary pads. This initiative revealed the depth of the problem, with some women resorting to using cloth, newspapers, or torn-up nappies as alternatives.
The Dignity Project, a collaboration between Jigsaw, the Pachamama Project, and local initiative Onoutha, takes a holistic approach. They distribute reusable sanitary pads and provide vital education on menstrual and reproductive health.
Mariam al Jabaly, founder of Onoutha, emphasized the importance of tailored education that considers age, culture, and educational background.
Ella Lambert, founder of The Pachamama Project, was inspired by her own experiences with severe period pain to create reusable pads. The project has already helped over 16,000 women worldwide, with Lebanon being its largest initiative.
These efforts not only address immediate hygiene needs but also aim to break the stigma surrounding menstruation and ensure girls don’t miss out on education due to their periods.
Onoutha’s al Jabaly said, in an interview with the Financial Times, that “period poverty is not only a lack of access to menstrual products, it’s also about a lack of access to health information and menstrual hygiene management information.”
Read more about this story in the September 17, 2024 article by Nora Redmond for the Financial Times: Tackling period poverty in Lebanon’s refugee camps
Watch this series of videos about Jigsaw’s Dignity Project:
Visit the Jigsaw website: https://jigsaw.charity/ and their Dignity Project: https://jigsaw.charity/donations/dignity/
Visit the Pachamama website: https://www.thepachamamaproject.org/
Learn more about Anoutha: https://www.instagram.com/onoutha.lb/