Menstrual Health Education -Volunteer

Because of inequality, gender taboos, and socio-cultural factors, menstrual health can be overlooked. Several surveys* have shown that girls feel embarrassed or ashamed during and because of menses. And often times, during menstruation women and girls are kept from cooking, sleeping in the house, community participation, and are not able to attend school.

In Uganda, drop-out rates are high for rural girls. Up to 80% of girls entering primary school will never complete their primary education. Uganda has the highest teen pregnancy rate in sub-Saharan Africa with over 30% of Ugandan girls having their first baby by the time they are 18. HIV infection rates are 9 times higher in girls than boys the same age and Uganda has one of the highest maternal death rates in the world, 25% of which are from unsafe abortions.

Due to the lack of access, safe and affordability of sanitary products, women and girls often use: cloth, leaves, mattress stuffing, and other ineffective and unsafe materials. These materials are unhygienic, uncomfortable, ineffective and unacceptable.

To address the issue of menstrual health, and the challenges women face with regards to access, hygiene and stigma, VacNet trains young girls how to make sanitary Pads – improving health and creating livelihoods.

Our Volunteers are placed in Gulu office to support the production of safe sanitary Pads for young girls and women, assisting with training activities marketing and working on the day-to-day tasks within production. Placements can also be made to our field activities, training women and girls with emphasis on social entrepreneurial development for creative business skills to (women and girls).

Responsibilities

• Training women in social entrepreneurial skills
• Develop business training programs for new and existing entrepreneurs
• Marketing and brand development
• conducting training sessions about menstrual health in schools
• Assist and support staff with daily activities
• Social media and reports

Qualifications

• Open minded
• Educational background in business, developmental studies, economics, finance, or women's empowerment required
• Demonstrable knowledge of women's issues, poverty, and post-conflict environments a plus