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Zimbabwe - Dignity! Period. - Campaign

 

Campaign Addresses Serious Need of Feminine Hygiene Supplies

for Girls and Women of Zimbabwe

 

Since launching Dignity! Period. in 2005/6, ACTSA in solidarity with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has distributed more than 5 million sanitary pads to the women and girls of Zimbabwe.

 

ACTSA is pleased to announce that 4.6 million products were delivered all over Zimbabwe in 2007.

 

The economic crisis in Zimbabwe now means that ordinary woman are unable to afford basic sanitary protection. With inflation topping 6000%, just one pack of sanitary pads costs more than 50% of the average monthly wage for women in Zimbabwe. Faced with such economic adversity, manufacturers of sanitary products have fled Zimbabwe, compounding the shortages.

 

Just £10 (UK) would provide one woman with sanitary products for one year.

 

As a consequence, millions of Zimbabwean women are forced to replace tampons with newspapers and dirty rags, a practice which has led to vaginal infections for which there is no available medication.

 

Moreover, these medical infections are often falsely attributed to sexually transmitted infections leading to social embarrassment and domestic violence. This lack of sanitary products has far reaching implications. Families suffer from increased poverty as mothers and wives are unable to work when they have their periods. This means that they are unable to buy food and clothes or finance their children's education. In addition girls are forced to take time off school, further jeopardising their education.

Millions of women and girls across Zimbabwe face unnecessary suffering and hardship, ACTSA campaigns to ensure that these women are afforded their most basic human rights.

Dignity! Period. has attracted significant support and attention in recent times. The campaign is backed by Kate Hoey MP, actresses Anna Chancellor, Niamh Cusack, Kim Tiddy, Jodi Albert, Maureen Lipman and Zoe Wanamaker, comedienne Jo Brand and former Zimbabwean cricketer Henry Olonga, as well as the UK trade union movement, and the National Union of Students. The campaign has also been covered by various prominent newspapers, magazines and websites in the UK, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Crucially, ACTSA was able to gain the support of South African radio station 5FM, who by means of a listener drive raised a phenomenal one million donated products for the campaign. These products were loaded onto trucks with the intention of crossing the boarder into Zimbabwe for distribution to those women in greatest need. Disappointingly, the Zimbabwean government reneged on its original promise to waive import duties, delaying delivery of the products considerably and ultimately forcing ACTSA to pay duties of US$23,000.

To avoid this issue in the future ACTSA has established a partnership with one of the very few existing manufacturers in Harare. Buying directly means products can be distributed to women free of charge, without import costs whilst helping local industry and people. It is vital that ACTSA continues to generate awareness and raise funds to supply more sanitary products to these women.

 

ACTSA is pleased to announce a new and exciting development in the Dignity! Period. campaign by entering into an important partnership with Bodyform, the feminine hygiene manufacturers. Bodyform has joined forces with the ACTSA campaign, to ensure that the women in Zimbabwe are afforded their most basic human rights. We need your help to make a small but significant difference to the lives of the Zimbabwean women. Please click here to see how you can help.





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