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Splash and Days for Girls Team Up to Shatter Taboos and Celebrate Young Women

By Sandy Clark and Cyndie Berg

When Global Washington NGOs come together, sparks fly, so it’s no surprise that a partnership between Splash and Days for Girls (DfG) would create fireworks. Combining forces to improve health awareness and conditions for kids – we have leveraged our collective strengths to double our impact, reaching thousands of youth in schools.

Starting in Nepal, where Splash and DfG already have established programs, we set out to raise awareness of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in 28 Splash schools through education, while creating sustainable access to environmentally friendly and cost-effective DfG female hygiene products.

Female student leaders give speeches to their classmates about hygiene education at Adarsha Kanya School in Lalitpur District, Nepal, on Menstrual Hygiene Day, May 28, 2017. (Credit: Splash)

Together, for Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28th, we reached over 10,000 girls and boys in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our teams recruited and trained 50 teachers and volunteers to fight stigmas, break barriers, and increase knowledge on menstruation. To make sure it was truly a celebration, our local teams worked with students and teachers to develop games, plays, and other creative activities. The school-wide events engaged students in a lively discussion aimed at reducing the stigma about periods.

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The Status of Reproductive Health Worldwide

Kelsey Noonan, Camber Collective.

On June 7^th 2017, Global Washington hosted a panel discussion with experts in global reproductive health. The result was a candid conversation that touched on the current status of reproductive health programs globally, as well as the impact of the current political environment on the health and well-being people in developing countries.

The panelists included Rufaro Kangai, director of programs at Global Fund for Women; Diane Bushley, global programs manager for Planned Parenthood of the Greater Northwest and Hawaiian Islands; and Julie Tempest, advancement director at One By One.

Kelsey Noonan from Camber Collective moderated the event.

Teeing up the discussion with the three panelists, Kelsey Noonan noted that “reproductive health is a necessary precursor to gender equity,” as it impacts all aspects of our lives.

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Global Health Trends

Kirsten Gagnaire, managing director of FSG’s global health practice, looks at what it means to bring gender equity into every global health conversation.

Young women in Gondar, Ethiopia.

Recently, I’ve seen a shift towards asking, “What does it mean to have a gender lens in all aspects of global health?” We need to move beyond just thinking of women and girls, and start thinking about all the ways that gender impacts global health issues.

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