Dear Partners and Friends,
Every year on May 28, the world observes Menstrual Hygiene Day. But for us at Indigenous Women for Health and Equality (IWHE), menstrual health is not a one-day conversation; it is a fundamental pillar of gender justice and health equity.
In the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and across many indigenous and rural communities worldwide, a period is rarely just a biological event. It is a monthly barrier. When a young girl lacks access to safe, dignified menstrual products and private sanitation, she doesn’t just miss a few days of class; she loses a piece of her future.
Menstrual equity is the quiet bedrock of education, economic autonomy, and bodily sovereignty. True philanthropy in the gender justice space must recognize that we cannot fund leadership, climate resilience, or economic empowerment without first securing dignity through a basic health equity. When we invest in grassroots, community-led menstrual health solutions, we are dismantling a structural barrier that keeps women and girls on the margins.
As we reflect on gender justice today, let us commit to a philanthropy that funds the foundational needs of women and girls from the ground up. Dignity should never be a luxury.
Dr. Esther ALENGE MYAMBANO
Executive Director
Indigenous Women for Health and Equality
IWHE-NGO/ DR Congo