Defined as a "lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets or waste management,” period poverty and its effects has been worsened by COVID-19.

The struggle to access sanitary products increased during the pandemic, as has access to hygienic facilities.

 "The COVID-19 period, has had a diverse effect on vulnerable women, especially young girls, since their respective families have had little or no means to provide for basic needs such as sanitary products or worse, food.

"Some girls have resorted to sex in exchange for money to afford essentials,” Gloria Gatsinzi, the founder of Care and Help that has been donating sanitary pads to girls in schools says.

"On top of these issues, the prices of sanitary products continues to be high. The solution that is normally advocated is for menstrual products be made affordable, for example by removing the Value Added Tax on sanitary products, or providing these free in schools.”

Making of reusable pads at Kandaka Naturals.

However, since December 2019, when the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion announced the scrapping of VAT on sanitary pads, prices continue to be the same.

Rwanda Revenue Authority on the other hand, insists that VAT is no longer levied since the waiver announcement which was meant to take immediate effect. 

Isabella Akaliza, founder of ‘FreeThePeriod’ and co-founder of ‘Safe2Bleed’, a coalition that has NGOs and individuals as members, says that activists have been reaching out to policymakers to see what plans can be put in place to ensure that vendors across the country adhere to the new law.

Working as a team

Aicha Seifelislam, founder of ‘Kandaka Naturals’ and co-founder of ‘Safe2Bleed’, says the coalition has grown to more individual activists and NGOs and the focus is now broader, targeting different menstrual hygiene management issues.

This month, the coalition embarked on a social media campaign on different MHM issues, including the access to pads and the lack of standards for the reusable pads.

"We realised that people on the ground seem not to be aware of the tax exemption for menstruation products.  Some of the products even became more expensive,” Seifelislam said.

In celebration of the World Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, Zipline in partnership with Ruby Love and Steel Sky Ventures also decided to support this cause by using drones to donate 300 Period Panties worth USD 6000 (equivalent to six million Rwandan francs) that would be donated to four schools and 60 health facilities within the region that Zipline serves in Kayonza and Muhanga.

The Zipline Rwandan team also participated in raising awareness about menstrual hygiene by donating 1000 packs of sanitary pads.

Christelle Igihozo, the customer experience lead at Zipline Rwanda, says that initiative started in September last year.

"While visiting Kirinda Hospital in Karongi, we asked them what their key challenges were and their team mentioned that some of the female patients, mostly new mothers, did not have sanitary products and it was affecting their health,” Igihozo says.

Through the use of drone delivery technology, Zipline Rwanda has donated over 15,000 pads to contribute towards supporting women and girls within the region that Zipline serves.

"We decided to replace air inserts with pads, when delivering blood to hospitals to help women in hospitals,” she says.

To make this initiative feasible, however, the company partnered with Rubi Love to deliver period panties that are used between 60 to 100 washes, to take the place of disposable protection products like tampons or pads.

Igihozo, however, raised concerns about the access to clean water and soap, especially in the rural areas, for women and girls to maintain hygiene during their period.

Challenges with standardisation

While activists have been pushing for the use of re-usable pads as a feasible solution, Rwanda Standard Board (RSB) has been reluctant to put in place guidelines for their production.

"After our campaign last year,” Seifelislam says, "There was positive feedback from RSB that they would work on the issues of lack of standards for the production of reusable sanitary pads. But officially and concretely nothing has been done. At least we are not aware of any work.

"What we understand is that it is not illegal to produce reusable pads—we are going with this. However, we would wish to have the reusable sanitary pads officially recognised in order to be able to have the tax exemption on the import of raw materials for their production,” she says.

Blandine Umuziranenge, the founder and CEO of ‘Kosmotive’ that produces KosmoPads, also disclosed that recently while following up with the process, the Standards Division at RSB showed her two different drafts about standards for reusable pads.

"There was still no concrete timeline for proceeding with it for a final one, but they were recognising that the need for these pads is bigger than what they thought due to the requests they get from NGOs working with girls in rural areas mostly,” she says.

She agrees that in order for manufacturers to be able to get tax exemption on the import of raw materials for making reusable pads, official recognition is essential.

"Since the last announcement about imports tax exemption for raw materials to produce sanitary pads was released, I imported materials and asked in the customs about it, they told me that it’s only applicable to disposable pads,” she adds.

In the meantime, as activists await guidelines from the institution and hope that vendors eventually adhere to the law, some called on more institutions and individuals to donate sanitary pads to the underprivileged young girls.

"We need more people to take a step further financially. Financial challenges are getting in the way of helping girls in rural areas.

"Everyone should take the issue of period poverty personally and contribute whichever way possible to make a difference in the life of the girl child,” Gatsinzi says.