The whispers catch your attention. You turn around to see where the murmurs are coming from. But the sound is gone. Once you leave, they start again – always speaking but barely audible. They hide in the shadows, afraid to come out in the open; afraid to make a statement. “I got my period,” says […]
Thoughts on Gender Equality during the Covid-19 Pandemic
This pandemic has been unprecedented – no one saw anything of this magnitude coming. In the initial months, it was a global lockdown, and now we are at the stage of phased openings in a bid to kickstart a floundering economy. This pandemic has turned everything upside down. The old way of life is over, […]
Fibroid Awareness Month
Learning about your body is extremely important to maintain good health. In the spirit of Fibroid Awareness Month, here is a guide from GiveHer5 on things you may need to know about fibroids! Uterine fibroids: What are they? A Fibroid is a tumour found in the uterus. It is made up of fibrous connective tissue […]
Global Considerations for the Progress of Menstrual Health
In a previous blog post, we discussed some of the Common Global Menstrual Health Challenges. As we know, there is a growing interest in menstrual health across the world. Below are some essential things to consider in the menstrual health space. If you are a social worker, NGO, governmental organisation, or even just an interested […]
Common Global Menstrual Health Challenges.
Money and research have been invested in understanding the underlying challenges faced by menstruators across the world. The gravity of these issues depends on several factors, such as where the menstruator lives, do they have access to education, do they have financial resources, is their culture oppressive? What about technology – do they have mobile phones with internet […]
Standards for Reusable Sanitary Pads – Key takeaways from the Menstrual Health Standards Webinar
Recently, GiveHer5 participated in a webinar, where the focus of discussion was Standards for Reusable Sanitary Pads. The panel of speakers included Sophia Grinvalds (AFRIpads), Torben Holm Larsen (RealRelief), Audrey Anderson Duckett (Be Girl), Ina Jurga (International Coordinator MH Day/ WASH United) and Shivani Swamy (Livinguard). The webinar was a part of a series co-hosted […]
Understanding Femtech and the Challenges it Faces
What is Femtech? In the last couple of years, there has been a rise in female technology or ‘Femtech’. It applies to software, products, services and diagnostics that utilise technology to concentrate on and improve women’s health. A 2018 report released by Frost & Sullivan tells us that Femtech is the next big thing in the women’s […]
The Origin of the term ‘Menstruality’
Coined in 2001 by Jane Catherine Severn, a New Zealand based Psychotherapy and Menstruality Educator, the term ‘Menstruality’ was her baby – a new approach to feminine life. She noted that our psychospiritual development occurs during each phase of the cycles or the Four M’s. They are Menarche, Menstrual Cycles, Menopause and Mature Life. Each […]
Women’s Day Spotlight – Period Positivity x Body Positivity.
This Women’s Day, we throw the spotlight on two matters that are relevant to every woman – body positivity and menstruation. What is period positivity? To be period positive is to accept that menstruation is not a taboo topic. It is not a dirty word; it is part and parcel of who we are as […]
Decoding Menstrual Cycles for Optimum Productivity
The average person spends a third of their lives working. For the uninitiated, that is over 90,000 hours. However you look at it, that is a lot of time spent earning an income to pay bills, putting a roof over our heads, looking after our own and our children’s health and so on. Work is […]