supporting girls for menstrual health in Pakistan

Half of the world's population will spend a significant portion of their lives menstruating, yet 500 million women and girls globally lack access to menstrual hygiene materials and safe facilities. This "period poverty" has devastating consequences for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

The Joy Foundation in Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan, has launched a project in collaboration with GlobalGiving US to support rural girls during their menstrual cycles. Our initiative aims to promote menstrual health, provide essential hygiene kits, and advocate for increased action, policies, and resources.

Menstrual health encompasses more than just access to hygiene products; it includes education on menstruation and self-care, diagnosis and treatment for menstrual disorders, and freedom from stigma and discrimination. Unfortunately, women and girls often sacrifice other aspects of their health and lives to protect their menstrual health. For instance, some adolescent girls engage in transactional sex to purchase period products, exposing them to risks of pregnancy, infection, and violence.

In Pakistan, inadequate menstrual hygiene management in schools, coupled with societal stigma, leads to girls missing school and facing shame and humiliation. Women and girls are often isolated and denied basic human dignity, prohibited from attending events, bathing, or cooking due to menstrual taboos.

The Joy Foundation recognizes these challenges and has taken action. Our team visited three rural villages in Toba Tek Singh, engaging with girls and sharing information about our project. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with girls eager to learn more.

We organized seminars in each village, distributing hygiene kits to 50 girls in:

1. Chak No 325 J.B Dullam

2. Chak No 328 J.B

3. Chak No 296 G.B

In total, we distributed 150 hygiene kits, providing essential items for girls to maintain their hygiene and dignity.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our donors for supporting this critical initiative. Your funding has made a tangible difference in the lives of Pakistani girls. We look forward to continuing this vital work with your ongoing support.

Half of the world’s population will spend half of their lives menstruating (or, having periods), yet 500 million women and girls around the world lack access to menstrual hygiene materials and safe, clean facilities. This “period poverty” is detrimental to their physical, mental, and emotional health. The Joy Foundation Toba Tek Singh Pakistan started a project with GlobalGiving US to support rural girls on their special days. We organize seminars with girls and highlight the importance of including menstrual health and share the hygiene kits with girls in which we give them pads and others important things which they are needed during these days to safe themselves hygienically, and we call for increased action, policies, and resources to support menstrual health.

Menstrual health includes having information about menstruation and self-care; access to menstrual hygiene materials; diagnosis and treatment for menstrual cycle disorders; and the ability to be free from stigma and discrimination related to menstruation.  

Women and girls around the world may sacrifice other aspects of their health and lives to protect their menstrual health. For example, some adolescent girls may engage in transactional sex to purchase period products, which can endanger their lives and health by increasing their risk of pregnancy, infection, and violence. A lack of menstrual hygiene management including clean water and safe washroom facility in schools coupled with the stigma surrounding menstruation leads to girls staying at home and missing school. When they have to choose between managing their menstrual health or facing shame and humiliation at school, girls miss out on their education. Additionally, when women and girls have their periods they may be prevented from attending large events, bathing, or cooking because they are thought to be unclean. Isolated from others and stripped of basic human dignity, women and girls are often shunned from society in more ways than one. Addressing menstrual health is also a human rights issue.

Joy Foundation keep in mind all these problems of the girls during these days and start their project with girls from different rural areas of Toba Tek Singh. In the beginning Team of Joy Foundation visit three villages and have sharing with the girls about this project girls liked it very much and interested to have more information in this regards. Joy Foundation organized seminars in each village and during the seminar distribute hygiene kits to the girls. Joy Foundation organized seminars in village Chak No 325 J.B Dullam, village Chak No 328 J.B, village Chak No 296 G.B in each village Joy Foundation distribute hygiene kits to the 50 girls. Then in Total Joy Foundation distribute150 hygiene kits to the girls.

Through this report we would like to thanks all our donors how funds for this big issues of Pakistani girls and we really your support to continue these activities and support for the Pakistani girls.