Menstrual Health Equity for Women in Lebanon

On August 4th, two devastating explosions struck the port of Beirut, Lebanon. With help from your donations, Days for Girls was one of the first NGOs to respond with aid to those affected by the tragedy. 

The aftermath of this tragedy – combined with the impacts of COVID-19, civil unrest, and widespread economic turmoil – has significantly hindered the ability of Lebanon’s women and girls to manage their menstruation. An estimated 84,000 menstruators were displaced from their homes following the Beirut explosions, and now struggle to meet basic health needs in temporary shelters or settlements. Meanwhile, the cost of period products is skyrocketing nationwide – untouched by government subsidies designed to make other “essential goods” more accessible amidst widespread inflation and poverty. These conditions are especially difficult for the already stretched refugee communities of Beirut.

In response to this crisis, your donations allowed Days for Girls Lebanon to double down on efforts to reach as many women and girls as possible. Prior to the explosions, this local team focused primarily on bringing menstrual health solutions to Syrian and Palestinian refugee communities. Now, DfG Country Coordinator Khayrieh Al Assaad is leading local menstrual health champions in a coordinated effort to serve both refugee and Lebanese women and girls. 

To date, Days for Girls Lebanon has helped distribute washable face masks to more than 4,200 people in Beirut, and is in the process of distributing over 21,000 DfG menstrual health Kits to women and girls as well (in partnership with local and international organizations). Partnering with local NGOs, our Lebanon team has also distributed 300+ hygiene boxes (shampoo, soap, towels) and 500+ boxes of clean water.

We could not do this important and timely work without your continued support. We know that our Days for Girls supporters are also impacted by global crises, which makes it all the more remarkable that you continue to care for the world’s most vulnerable communities. Thank you!

Because Periods Don’t Stop for Pandemics, our Syrian Refugee project has continued to reach girls and women in vulnerable refugee communities. And thanks to your generous support, displaced Syrian women and girls are getting much needed supplies to manage their menstruation with dignity AND protection from the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is an update on our latest work that your donations supported:

• COVID-19 has not stopped the momentum of the Enterprises who have been busy sewing to complete a recent order of 2000 DfG Kits which, when fulfilled, will be added to the refugee project distributions. This will bring our total to 6480 women and girls receiving DfG Kits!
• Our local Syrian women sewist have also been receiving orders from several organizations in Lebanon including Concern Worldwide and Oxfam. Between November 2019 and March 2020 These women have sold a total of 1057 Kits (in addition to the refugee project orders they are fulfilling).
• Since the outbreak of COVID-19, DfG Enterprises pivoted to sewing washable, reusable masks to meet the needs in their communities. They have received orders totaling 1000 masks from local organizations and communities and are sewing these in addition to filling Kit orders and prepping to resume refugee health education training and distributions.

Your generous donations are making all of this possible. And as you can see, these amazing women are working harder than ever with funds from your donations to reach displaced and disadvantaged women and girls in Syrian refugee communities. The work we are doing at Days for Girls, in collaboration with you--our amazing donors--is needed now, more than ever. Thank you!

Thanks to you, Days for Girls Enterprises are making incredible strides in Lebanon! And we are pleased to share the following with you, our amazing supporters:

• The political revolution taking place delayed our distribution dates; however, our Enterprise leaders were able to conduct their first distribution on February 22! This is the first of many they hope to conduct in the near future.

• Our Enterprises have also been busy filling orders they have received. Through a UNICEF funded project, our partner Concern Worldwide purchased Kits from our Enterprises and distributed them along with menstrual health education. They then conducted focus groups and received the following feedback: 

1. All thought the pads were of excellent quality, with the cotton being much softer and comfortable than the cheap ones from the $1 store. They feel healthier during their periods as they no longer suffer from allergies or infections.  
2. The project also contributed to the women feeling more confident as they no longer worry about how to dispose of single use pads.
3. (The unique colors and designs) gave them the capacity to wash them and let them dry outside without feeling ashamed.

• Finally, the DfG Lebanon Enterprises have just received an order for 2000 DfG Kits which will also be directed to refugees!

Thank you for your donations! Because of your generosity, we are able to continue reaching hard hit refugee girls and women in Lebanon with the tools they need to manage their menstruation with dignity. Your help is vital in our work to shatter stigma and limitations associated with menstruation for improved health, education, and livelihoods.

Thanks to your support, Days for Girls has been able to organize the collection of 3,600 DfG Kits that are on their way to Syrian refugees today! And our DfG Enterprise in Lebanon is making another another 500 Kits to reach our goal of 4,100 DfG Kits by the end of the year. This is part of a larger effort to reach 44,000 refugee women and girls in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Lebanon. 

What does it take to make this happen? A whole lot of passionate volunteers and energetic local leaders. Together they joined forces to respond to the growing and devastating needs of women and girls living in extremely difficult conditions. 

Thank you for your vital partnership in making sure that all women and girls have what they need to live with dignity and opportunities.  YOU are making a difference! 

3,600 DfG Kits are ready to be shipped! 

This quarter has been dedicated to planning and organizing a big upcoming project that will address the MHM needs of 4,000 refugee women and girls in Lebanon! 

DfG local leaders and project partners in Lebanon have reported on the tremendous need for more DfG Kits and health education in refugee settings. DfG Lebanon Country Coordinator Khayrieh says,"Most refugees can't afford pads because they need to spend what little money they have on food and medicine. They use old white cloths or old t-shirts instead, but the problem is they are too shy to wash this and hang it out to dry. This isn't safe for their health.”

To meet this need, DfG in Lebanon will be partnering with DfGI’s international Chapters and Teams program in order to reach 4,000 refugee women and girls in Lebanon with increased access to sustainable menstrual health products and vital menstrual health education. This is part of a wider DfGI refugee response program that is aiming to collectively reach 33,000 refugee and IDP women and girls in Lebanon, South Sudan, Somalia, and Afghanistan.

Khayrieh shares: “DfG Kits provide a wonderful alternative ... as they are multicolored, don't look like pads and they are safe to use! The AWH education is just as important because it teaches them information that most of them don't already know. It makes them more relaxed and confident and it breaks down taboos and stigmas. It has a lasting impact because they can pass the information on to their daughters, who will then pass it down to their daughters."

A large amount of preparation is currently taking place internationally! DfG Enterprise leaders and Chapters and Teams have been busy sewing, quality checking, assembling, and shipping DfG Kits in a true collective effort! Our project partners and Lebanon Country Coordinator Khayrieh have been busy organizing logistics and transport, coordinating and finalizing dates and details with local partners, performing baseline surveys, and managing timelines in order to ensure this project is a great success! 

Thanks to our GlobalGiving supporters, this project will be implemented in November 2019, through a large number of distributions of DfG Kits along with DfG’s menstrual health education to refugee women and girls!

Thanks to your support, we are able to continue to make strides towards our goal of increasing sustainable menstrual health solutions and MHM education to refugee women and girls in Lebanon!

Interested in learning more about Days for Girls in Lebanon? Check out this recent article published by Scene Arabia!

Links:

• Scene Arabia