Words by Smiley Team
More than 2 billion people in the world live without basic sanitation services.
To combat the issue, a group of students at Northumbria University have created a social enterprise called ‘The Hygienes’, which supports women across their region with issues surrounding menstrual health, hygiene and education. Their aim being is to tackle period poverty in the North East.
Led by Enactus Northumbria, social enterprise team, The Hygienies distribute sanitary products to those who can’t easily access them.
They operate on a ‘buy one, donate one’ scheme – meaning for each box of products purchased, they donate a selection of sustainable menstrual products to Newcastle-based charities, West End Women and Girls, and Smart Works.
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Monika Formanova, 22, is the project leader of The Hygienies – and she studies Business Management at the university. “The project was started by students who felt the need to act and help as much as they can,” she says. “We used knowledge gained throughout our education and used it to create all the needed documents, forms, ideas, and products for women and girls in need.
“We are aiming to distribute sanitary products to women who find it difficult to afford them,” explains Monika, “and we are using social media to spread awareness about menstrual waste and introduce and share knowledge of environment friendly menstrual products.”
In the future, explains Monika, the group hopes to provide educational videos created by students. “Meeting the hygiene needs of women and girls is a fundamental issue of human rights, dignity, and public health,” she says.
“Poor menstrual hygiene can cause physical health risks such as reproductive issues or all kinds of infections.
"Period poverty-fighting can change the wrong approaches towards periods, bust the taboos, and educate girls and women who lack the knowledge on how to manage their periods without shame and risks.”
Find out more about how you can get involved with Enactus and support The Hygienies.
