Africa-based industry manufactures reusable sanitary pads in Uganda, Masaka - 16 May 2024

Employees at AFRIpad Uganda Limited make reusable sanitary pads in Kitengesa Village, Masaka District, southern Uganda, 16 May 2024 (issued 27 May 2024). AFRIpads, founded by Paul and Sophia Grinvalds in 2010, is an Africa-based social enterprise and manufacturer of reusable sanitary pads with the aim of helping millions of women and girls across the continent and beyond. The company's mission is to 'empower women and girls through business, innovation and opportunity'. The organization, which employs about 100 people at its factory, helps vulnerable women such as single mothers find jobs and become financially independent. In developing countries, women have limited choices when it comes to menstrual products, and in some cases, menstruating women face the taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation, including exclusion, shame, and discriminatory social norms. This can have a negative impact on their health and well-being, making menstrual health a human rights issue. Upcoming 28 May 2024 will mark Menstrual Hygiene Day, an annual awareness day to raise global awareness of the importance of good menstrual hygiene practices. An estimated 500 million women around the globe don't have access to menstrual products or proper facilities for menstrual hygiene management (MHM), according to the World Bank.