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SCA & WSSCC initiate menstrual education on Women's Day

09 Mar '15

2 min read

SCA, a leading global hygiene and forest products producing company, and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), the only United Nations body devoted solely to sanitation and hygiene, celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8, 2015 by initiating menstrual education for women.

With their joint efforts, SCA and WSSCC plan to lift the veil of silence that can transform the lives of women and girls around the world, and grow business in emerging and developing countries.

In many growing countries, a terrible taboo exists around menstruation which hinders productivity and advancement, with little or no possibility to realise full socioeconomic potential neither on a societal nor personal level.

With this innovative partnership, SCA and WSSCC aim to help women enter developing markets and grow to reach their full potential. The SCA-WSSCC partnership is an excellent example of a collaboration creating value for society.

SCA has partnered with WSSCC, whose goal is to focus on pro-poor, people-centred approaches on sanitation and hygiene with equity, inclusion, and sustainability at the centre. WSSCC has played an active role in breaking the silence and replacing taboo with pride and dignity through its research, training, policy transformation, and innovation.

SCA carries out menstrual education programs in Asia, Latin America, and Russia and have proved successful with millions of girls participating. SCA’s goal is not to take over the role of civil society, but to contribute in fields where it has its core competence and interests. This creates a foundation for long-term efforts and real, measurable effects.

Also, in India, a non-profit organisation called Utthan helps women establish household sanitation systems offering them privacy and safety. Governments are increasingly recognizing their responsibility to take action. The Kenyan government now exempts sanitary cloths from the national value added tax, and the Indian government has amended the national sanitation policy to include language on menstrual hygiene management. (GK)

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India