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PERIOD POVERTY
"For several cycles, I didn't have pads. I used cut-up rags that I would wash to reuse, toilet paper, and even other types of paper, like newspapers and whatever leaves I could find. Using paper was terrible because the friction would chafe my groin, but it was less humiliating than having a blood-soaked piece of cloth fall out of my underwear. Whenever possible, I would hide at home during my period. Skipping school was a strategy."
Leia Carvalho, saleswoman, 42
Boipeba Island (BA)
Since 2014, the UN has recognized menstrual hygiene as a right that must be addressed as a matter of public health and human rights.
Newspaper, scraps of cloth, or leaves are used as makeshift alternatives to pads to manage menstruation.
What is Mulheres Mais Renda
Mulheres + Renda generates income for seamstresses across Brazil by producing reusable fabric pads. These pads are donated free of charge, promoting the protection and health of women and adolescents who cannot afford to buy pads every cycle.
For 16 years, Rede Asta has worked to expand market access and knowledge for low-income artisans and seamstresses.
We will select women in vulnerable situations for whom the income from this production will be essential for supporting their families.
ENABLER NETWORK
A network of enabling partners is essential. The more supporters we have, the more girls and women will benefit.
Partners choose the region where they want to produce, and Rede Asta identifies seamstresses from our network of over 10,000 women across Brazil, as well as 800 NGOs and public schools, to receive donations in the same region where the seamstresses are located.
Mulheres + Renda follows the same logic as the Máscara + Renda project, which produced 3 million masks with 2,000 seamstresses from over 250 Brazilian cities with the support of 23 enabling companies.
