Be Girl’s Post

In 2023, Days for Girls in Malawi partnered with USAID’s Youth Excel and IREX to empower local youth-led and youth-serving partners. The project aimed to use holistic, accurate menstrual health (MH) education to inform community leaders and members to encourage safe and healthy MH practices across the Rumphi, Dedza, and Mangochi districts. With the USAID and IREX partnership, DfG in Malawi researched the impact of DfG-led community interface meetings on MH. The findings were remarkable: 📊 - These meetings not only dismantled stigmas surrounding menstruation but also cultivated more supportive menstrual environments. - After receiving accurate MH education, two out of three communities enacted by-laws against harmful menstrual practices. - Following these meetings, an impressive 86% of survey participants reported a shift in MH beliefs in Dedza, Malawi! - Participants in Mangochi expressed a keen interest in more community interface meetings, underscoring the ongoing demand for support and education. This project highlights the importance and impact of empowering local leaders with accurate MH information. With key partnerships like these, we are breaking barriers and fostering positive change! Want to learn more about the project’s inspiring impact? Check out this blog post! https://bit.ly/3y3aZCJ #MenstrualHealth #CommunityImpact #DfGMalawi #USAID Photo Credit: Mite

Very much looking forward to moderating this panel tomorrow focused on a maternal health in Angola. While global maternal health outcomes have improved overall since 2000, progress has stalled since 2016. The WHO estimates that 800 women die of pregnancy-related causes every day. However, most maternal and child deaths are preventable. Join us tomorrow to learn more about an innovative project to improve maternal health outcomes in Angola, hosted by maze impact and joined by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Appy People. This is a critically important topic for anyone interested in #globalhealth #womenshealth #neonataloutcomes and improving #maternalmortality rates worldwide. Register here: https://bit.ly/4fbmqcA At Levoca we are supporting this project as part of the Outcomes Accelerator first cohort. Please reach out if interested in discussing further! Margarida Anselmo Constança Nunes Antonio Miguel Pedro Beirão Zachary Levey Naureen Khan Daniel Jensen Catarina Vidotto Caricati Sietse Wouters Jemima Hodkinson Christian Brändli Zora Luna Wilkinson Gabriele Guaita

Around the world, millions of girls struggle to access menstrual health information and products. According to USAID, about 65% of women and girls in Kenya cannot afford sanitary products. Janet Mbugua, #DDWithMaqC's 17th guest and founder of Inua Dada Foundation , works to address gender equity by supporting menstrual health products, education, and advocacy. Some key highlights 💡 Assessing the need involves addressing menstrual health by recognizing #unsanitarypractices and focusing on broader issues beyond just providing products. 💡 Tackling #stigma is essential to combat #periodshame by normalizing menstruation discussions and educating everyone to improve safety and dignity. 💡 Policy conversations and the role of state actors are critical, with effective #policies like #freesanitary products in Scotland and Kenya’s Menstrual Hygiene Management Policy ensuring broad access. 💡 Advocacy is driven by #publicawareness, political action, and #storytelling, as demonstrated by Janet Mbugua's efforts to normalize menstruation and drive change. 💡 An #intersectional approach and tailored interventions are necessary to address menstrual equity holistically, considering economic, social, and sanitation factors. These and other such insights will be featured in The Lives, Times, & Chapters of Luminaries Making Good Happen in Africa, a book featuring reflections from Leaders and Practitioners in the Development and Social Impact Ecosystem launching on the 26th of Sept 2024. Stay tuned for more details. Watch Janet's full story here! https://bit.ly/4ebogsT #JanetMbugua on #DDWithMaqC #DDAt5 #DevelopmentDynamics Inua Dada Foundation Janet Mbugua

#didyouknow? In the United States, around 16.9 million people who menstruate live in poverty. Among these women, two-thirds struggle with affording menstrual products, and 14% of college girls surveyed reported difficulty affording period products. Women in Africa spend up to 13% of their income on menstrual products. Meaningful change in menstrual hygiene management requires coordinated efforts at the policy level. By participating in conversations about MHM, stakeholders can advocate for policies and initiatives that prioritize menstrual health and hygiene, allocate resources to address gaps in access and education, and promote gender-inclusive approaches to menstruation. By raising awareness and mobilizing support for MHM issues, we can drive positive policy change that benefits menstruating individuals across Africa. Join 10 speakers from 7 countries in West Africa, Central Africa, and East Africa on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), and Facebook to discuss this important topic of the health and well-being of our schoolchildren. Join our speakers; Faith Flourish Ude- Cameroon Stella Jane- Kenya Benson Muhindo - MPH- Uganda Levlyn Asiedu- Ghana Berabose Aline Joyce- Rwanda Amaka Nwosu-Nnah - Nigeria Djènèba Traore- DRC Patrick Fynn Bilkis Nuhu Kokroko @Mohammedine Mira UNICEF Register here https://lnkd.in/edMQCnxD #levelupwithshallomshow #LinkedInAudioEvent #SDG6 #MHD2024 #PeriodFriendlyWorld

“[The Alcancar project] has affected me positively because I see that there is harmony and well-being in my home." Paulino participates in a male engagement group through the #AlcancarProject, funded by USAID, whose consortium of partners is led by FHI 360. The project aims to improve maternal, newborn and child health (#MNCH) outcomes in #Mozambique by supporting both #MaleEngagement and female empowerment. Read Paulino's story: https://bit.ly/47a5u18

“[The Alcancar project] has affected me positively because I see that there is harmony and well-being in my home." Paulino participates in a male engagement group through the #AlcancarProject, funded by USAID, whose consortium of partners is led by FHI 360. The project aims to improve maternal, newborn and child health (#MNCH) outcomes in #Mozambique by supporting both #MaleEngagement and female empowerment. Read Paulino's story: https://bit.ly/47a5u18

On #WorldNTDDay, let's emphasize the critical importance of considering and addressing gender, equity and social inclusion (GESI), as NTDs often impact the most vulnerable, hard-to-reach and marginalized communities.

More money, more paychecks - fund health service providers! On this International Women's Day, let's shed light on a critical issue: a worldwide policy crisis that's making it harder for marginalized communities, such as women and gender diverse people, to access essential resources and services. From barriers to healthcare to limitations on education, these policies threaten progress and equality. It's time to take action and ensure no one is left behind. Call to action for all UN member states to 📢 :  👉 To focus on and increase public health financing and reduce reliance on external financing for critical health services such as sexual and reproductive health care services and information.  👉 Expand countries’ fiscal space for social spending by committing to systemic global level action against tax abuse, illicit financial flows, and unsolved debt crises. 👉 Commit to public health financing systems that are designed to leave no one behind, and a cautious stance towards leveraging private finance for health.  👉 To commit to a human rights, intersectional and gender transformative approaches and reject false solutions in addressing the current global crises. Read our statement and call to action here: https://ap.lc/nkUpM Wemos Liliane Fonds Akin Mama wa Afrika Forum For African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Uganda Chapter and The Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians #CSW68 #WomensDay #IntersectionalApproaches #HealthFinancing

The Coalition for Women's Health in Africa (COWHA) exists to create a unified network of private and non-state actors that work towards the #promotion and #protection of equitable healthcare and optimal wellbeing for girls and #women on the African continent. Why women's health? Women and girls' health is still low on the political and policy agenda in Africa, this results in the alarming health #indicators. It is crucial that we #protect and #promote the health of women and girls on the continent –with a focus on quality, affordability and #equity to improve overall health and achieve optimum wellbeing for both current and future generations. 🚀The year ahead is promising, and we count on your #support to build an Africa where women and girls have #access to equitable healthcare and optimal wellbeing. Follow the Coalition for Women's Health in Africa (COWHA) to learn more about the work we do to improve healthcare outcomes for women and girls across Africa. #womenshealth #unifiedplatform #healthadvocacy #Africa #Kenya #Ghana #SouthAfrica

The Wait is Over! Imagine a world where no girl has to miss school because of a natural part of life - their period. Imagine the confidence and dignity that comes with knowing you have access to safe and sustainable period products. Imagine the freedom to pursue your dreams without being held back by something as natural as menstruation. For months, my team and I have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this vision a reality. We have heard the stories of girls forced to use unhygienic menstrual materials and have suffered in silence, and of communities where period poverty has held them back. And we knew we had to act. Today, we're thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership that will change the game! Our #RedTentProject's Pad Drive has joined forces with UNFPA Lagos United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Health Volunteers Nigeria Initiative, House of AnnieJ (HoA), YALI Network Lagos, and The Youth Evolve which are like-minded organizations dedicated to empowering women and girls worldwide. Together, we are launching a revolutionary initiative to tackle period poverty and bring menstrual health to the forefront. As we anticipate this World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024, we are not just raising awareness - we're taking action! Our partnership will bring: - Access to sustainable period products for thousands of young girls - Education and awareness to break the stigma surrounding menstruation - Empowerment and confidence for young girls to reach their full potential - Community engagement and mobilization to create lasting change We are proud to be part of a movement that is breaking down barriers and pushing for progress. Join us in celebrating this milestone and be part of the change! Share this news with your network and let's create a ripple effect of impact! Together, we can create a world where every young girl can thrive, without being held back by something as natural as their period. #TheRedTentProject #PadDrive #MenstrualHealthMatters #PartnershipForChange #PeriodPoverty #MofetoluwaAransiola #HumanitarianConsultant