MERIpad PROJECT
High Commission of Canada in Australia support
There is a latent potential of village women in business, which is profoundly under-utilized
Women and girls hold a good percentage of the Papua New Guinea nation’s population and contribute extensively to the development of the country, yet they are not recognised as equal partners in development, as Women’s status continues to remain poor.
On average a remote village girl menstruates 3,000 times in her life. Poverty, cultural taboos, shame and pad availability are said to be the main barriers which prevent hygienic and safe management of periods.
Several years back the Samban, Paniten and Wom village women and girls trialed and designed their own MeriPad Kit to complement their ways of living and to be environmentally friendly for their river. 4,500 pads were manufactured, made with certified organic cotton and bamboo cloth suitable for tropical wearing.
The locally affordable pads are re-washable and come in 3 different sizes. Our social enterprise/business has introduced a women vendors market supply which includes natural bristle wooden scrubbing brushes, sturdy wooden pegs, antiseptic soap, quality cotton towels and underwear.
The reusable pad provides quality protection for school girls, birthing mothers, incontinent elderly and women with a vaginal fistula to enable a dignified livelihood.
Introducing the Project and MeriPad products to Village Leaders and the Community People
VILLAGE PEOPLE AT MERIPAD PROJECT
WOM VILLAGERS LISTENING TO MERIPAD PRESENTATION
KAMBARAMBA VILLAGERS LISTENING TO MERIPAD PRESENTATION
DISCUSSING AND DEMONSTRATION MERIPADS
The MeriPad Social Enterprise/Business now has 35 local women sellers on the books
We supply 11 villages in the Keram LLG area, Angoram, Gavien and Wewak communities.
ADVISORY GROUP OF MERIPAD PROJECT
MERIPAD SELLER STALL AT WEWAK MARKET
MARKET SELLERS OF MERIPADS MEETING IN SAMBAN
SELLERS WITH FIRST CREDIT PACKS
SELLING IN LOL VILLAGE
MEETING WITH MERIPAD ADVISORY GROUP AND SELLERS
SELLERS OF MERIPADS AT KAMBARUAMBA VILLAGE
MERIPAD SELLERS AT KAMBARUAMBA
SELLERS OF MERIPADS AT ANGORAM
Village men have been learning about the importance of women and girls using re-washable cloth pads
Many men have been assisting our team with the project delivery.
MERIPAD WORKERS
MEN EDUCATING MEN ABOUT THE MERIPAD PROJECT
VILLAGE MEN FINDING OUT ABOUT THE MERIPAD PROJECT
MEN EDUCATING COMMUNITY ABOUT WOMEN NEEDING PADS
REACHING REMOTE AREAS EVEN WHEN HAVING TO PUSH THE BOAT
REACHING REMOTE AREAS TO EDUCATE VILLAGERS ABOUT MERIPADS
MEN AT MERIPAD PRESENTATION AT MARKET
300 local people have completed the Gender Based Analysis (GBA) Questionnaire
GBA (Gender-based Analysis) was used as an analytical tool to support the development of the MeriPad program.
The information was used to understand who is impacted by the project and to identify how the project could be tailored to meet different people’s needs, anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or receiving benefits from the project.
VILLAGERS FILLING OUT GBA FORMS
FAMILIES FILLING OUT GBA FORMS
PHILLIPA EXPLAINING THE FORMS TO GIRLS
WOMEN COMPLETING GBA FORMS
MEN AND ADOLESCENTS FILLING OUT GBA FORMS
It’s My Body
A Theatre Production on Puberty, Period & Pad Promotion
We produced a health education theatre play which performed in the 11 villages of Gavien and Angoram communities.
The script covered, puberty, periods, pads and local women in business. A total of 7,160 people of all ages from the elderly to children attended.
Demonstration of how to use and wash a pad and the menstrual cycle
The lesson was delivered to 350 youths and adults.
There are an estimated 1.2 billion women globally who lack access to menstrual hygiene products to adequately manage their menstrual cycle.
