Why This Topic?
In September 2019, with the help of our 118 donors, we raised $1,800 for our partner in India to run a workshop for their artisans around menstruation. In addition to the workshop, we were able to provide sanitary pads for the women involved…
A huge thank you to every maven who donated to our September 2019 Artisan Fund. Your donations have made a substantial impact on our artisan partners in India. Our partner for this workshop was Matr Boomie, another Fair Trade organization, who generously matched the donations you made 1:1, to raise $3,600 for this workshop.
How the Fund was Spent?
The generous financial donations were able to support 6 months of pads for 375 women in India. Pads are essential for menstruation health, but expensive and hard to access.
The workshops that were hosted for this event focused on menstrual health information, in the communities of Sanjay Nagar, Godavari and Kaladera.
In India, the topic of menstruation can be taboo and menstruation itself can be limiting for women, because they do not have the resources and information that they need. For some women, this might mean not attending school, work, or engaging in daily activity when they are menstruating.
The impacts on their psyche as well as to gender dynamics within India itself cannot be understated. And so, through some thoughtful education, we hoped to make the topic less taboo.
Pictured: Women in India during menstruation workshop, pads in hand.
Results of the fund
These workshops focused on topics such as:
- How to take care of yourself during your monthly menstruation.
- The causes of menstruation.
- Debunking questions or myths around the topic.
In total, 375 women attended. More than 15,114 pads were distributed over the three months of the workshops.
Pictured: Women and young girls sharing smiles and laughter during the workshop.
After gathering feedback from women who attended, there was an overall consensus of enthusiasm for the workshop. Women were asking questions and very open about their opinions. You could tell that everyone was learning and appreciating the support around such a significant topic. Many of the women even said they would invest in pads for the upcoming future.
Thanks to everyone’s support, these workshops were an enormous success.
Long lasting impact for women in India
When women have more information about their body, it gives them more autonomy to make decisions and take control of their sexuality. When women are in control of their womanhood, they are more likely to thrive in the workplace, school and in their homes.
Thank you for continuing to support our Artisan Fund, which supports women and communities around the world.
