Making cloth pads in Papua

Help us bring reusable menstrual pad workshops to Papua!

Women in Papua have limited access to sanitary products. Disposable pads are expensive, inaccessible and, because of a lack of rubbish disposal, used pads pile up in people's gardens and in rivers and streams. Some women have concerns about the chemicals used in disposable pads and the effects they may have on health. After women's activists from Papua attended one of our reusable menstrual pad-making workshops in Yogyakarta, an idea was born...

We have been invited to run a series of reusable menstrual pad workshops in Papua and we need your help to get there!



Who are we?

The workshops are a collaboration between two Jogjakarta-based communities, Biyung Indonesia and NeedleandBitch (NNB). Both have been working around women's rights and environmental issues for 10 years and 3 years respectively.

We have run workshops around the island of Java, in both rural and urban areas, teaching people how to make reusable menstrual pads from cloth. These menstrual pads are an affordable, accessible and environmentally friendly product. But it’s the workshops themselves that are often most valuable, opening up a safe space for learning and discussion around sexual and reproductive health and rights.



What are the benefits?

Women in Papua suffer from high rates of sexual and reproductive health problems. This is due to a lack of education, information and health services. These factors have documented negative effects on women’s health.

An obvious benefit of these workshops is that the women will be able to access safe and affordable sanitary products. Armed with the knowledge of how to make the pads, they can then make them themselves and share this knowledge with others. But the menstrual pads are often just an added bonus to take home. Over the course of a 2-day workshop, the facilitators also open up a discussion about menstruation, giving room to share personal experiences. This allows women to share their stories, build solidarity, break down taboos and bust myths. One of the most important messages that women take home is that they have the right to make decisions about what is right for their own bodies.

The workshops can also help reduce plastic waste, especially in areas with inadequate waste disposal and they may be able to generate income for women, who can make additional pads to sell to others.



So how will all this work?

We are collaborating closely with local activist Rosa Moiwend who is not only an advocate for women but also a ferocious defender of her community. Having numerous contacts with other local women's NGOs and groups, Rosa has lined up our schedule, giving us the opportunity to develop working relationships directly with local women's groups.

Four facilitators, two from Biyung and two from NNB, will travel to Manokwari, Sorong, Jayapura and Nabire. We will spend around a month in Papua, delivering workshops over four days at each location. The total number of participants is estimated at 250. We will be bringing materials with us and using sewing machines sourced on location. The budget of 87,000,000.00 Rupiah (approx. 6,200USD) includes funds for transportation, modest food and accommodation as well as materials.

Fan the flames of women's solidarity, from Java to Papua and Beyond!

For more info on Biyung  and NNB.