Sustainable sanitary pads, Cape Town

Period poverty describes the disadvantages induced by menstruation for women and girls without access to hygienic and affordable period products. According to the UN, this leads to approximately 63 million students worldwide missing part of their schooling. In South Africa, the number is as high as 1/3 of students experiencing a significant educational disadvantage during their period. To find a solution to this serious problem, German and South African students joined forces in 2018 and launched the “WEpads” project to produce and distribute affordable and sustainable sanitary pads. What makes the project special is that it is produced by women for women and girls, providing both a solution to period poverty and an income-generating measure in production and distribution for women without an educational background.

Based on the last official census in 2011, there are officially 391,749 people living in Khayelitsha. However, since there are many unregistered residents in the township, estimates range from 1.5 to 2.4 million people. Of these, about 51 % are women and 62.70 % are between the ages of 15 and 45. This target group is characterized by a low level of education and income. Overall, around 1/3 of schoolgirls in South Africa miss school during their period because they cannot afford feminine hygiene products and there is too little education about menstruation. Another target group are the future female employees of WEpads. To this end, job opportunities are to be offered to previously unemployed women in particular.