Project brings dignity to those who do not have access to sanitary pads and hygiene items during menstruation

Credit: Disclosure

By: Alicia Lobato – Lupa do Bem / Favela em Pauta

What was supposed to be just a website created as a final project for the programming course, became a group of volunteers that distributes hygiene kits to people who menstruate and live in downtown Manaus, in the Amazon. MenstRua (a word play with Menstruation and “street”, Rua in Portuguese) appears in 2021, with the purpose of talking about menstrual poverty and bringing dignity to several people in the Amazonian capital.

Turning one year old this September, the project has around 40 volunteers and is actively involved in the distribution of sanitary pads, holding conversation circles about menstruation and demanding public policies. More than two thousand menstrual kits have already been distributed in these 12 months.

Jumara Pimenta, 27 years old, a graduate in administration and creator of MenstRua, says that, when she decided to create the informative website about menstrual poverty, she realized that there was no other social project that talked about this in Manaus. So the desire to do something else was born. “I talked to some friends about the idea and everyone thought it was cool, since many of them didn’t even know what menstrual poverty was”, she declares.

Since then, Jumara has been dedicated to not only distributing the kits to volunteers, but also taking the theme to all spaces. She says that she sought specialization in the subject and, today, considers herself a menstrual educator, participating in conversation circles at events and in schools and taking the importance of the project to the entire state of Amazonas, since MenstRua also reached other municipalities in addition to the capital, with actions and collage of posters to raise awareness of the population.

What is menstrual poverty?

The term menstrual poverty has been the subject of immense debate involving politics in the discussion about the free distribution of sanitary pads. This is because, in short, menstrual poverty is the lack of access to basic hygiene items during menstruation, a reality that impacts the lives of thousands of people in the country.

In Amazonas, in 2021, Law No. 5,550/2021 was signed by Governor Wilson Lima, which defined guidelines for the Public Policy on Menstrual Dignity and awareness of menstruation and universal access to hygienic menstrual protectors. From there, the Menstrual Dignity Program was launched, which involves the Social Assistance (Seas) and Education and Sports (Seduc) secretariats, to benefit students who find it difficult to buy sanitary pads due to socioeconomic issues.

However, since the program was launched, only one distribution has taken place, in March 2022, through a large donation from a sanitary napkin manufacturing company.

For Jumara, there is a concern for government donations to continue. “In October, we will start a mobilization campaign so that, in some way, the bill that we have here in Amazonas actually starts the distribution that they proposed to do”, she comments.

Jumara also shares that, before starting the project, she went out into the street to hear what people had to say and what were the main difficulties during the menstrual period. She recalls that many women stated that during this period they use river water to bathe.

“In one of the last actions we did, there was a woman who cried and thanked us. It was very exciting, they always receive us with great affection. We can see the importance of the project when we receive feedback that what we do is really necessary for them”, says Jumara.

The importance of talking about the topic

With the absence of an in-depth debate on menstrual poverty, the project gained much more responsibility. In addition to monthly donations, there was a need to occupy other spaces. With the expansion of the neighborhoods served, new actions could be carried out, such as the distribution of packs in public schools and activities with indigenous women.

According to Jumara, to solve menstrual poverty it is not only necessary to distribute sanitary pads, “it is also to give access to menstrual education, it is to know one’s own body, it is to think about the lack of basic sanitation and the lack of access to the sewage system, the subject is very broad”, he protests.

Elizandra Ferreira, 24 years old, was introduced to MenstRua by its creator Jumara and, following it on social media, decided to become a volunteer. For her, people do not know about menstrual problems because of the taboo that exists in relation to their own bodies and that it is possible to perceive this even in conversation circles. “I believe that the project acts as a way of disseminating information, carrying out actions and studying to understand the scenario of each person we are trying to help”, he adds.

For her, it is very important to take advantage of social networks to spread the subject among friends, family, and also as a form of generalized dissemination. “Showing the actions and the impact they cause brings another reality closer to people, generating sensitivity and the process of deconstruction”, says Elizandra.

How to help the MenstRua project

Currently, the project is maintained with donations from people interested in contributing so that the actions can be carried out. The project also has a recurring campaign, in which it is possible to register as a monthly supporter. In Manaus, those interested can look for the collection points distributed throughout the city and leave their own material to be inserted in the kit.

To learn more about the project and the group of volunteers, visit the profile on Instagram (@projetomenstrua) or the website menstrua.netlify.app/.