Globally, approximately 52% of the female population (26% of the total population) is of reproductive age. Most of these women and girls will menstruate each month for between two and seven days. The subject of menstruation however, is too often taboo, and has many negative cultural attitudes associated with it, including the idea that menstruating women and girls are „contaminated‟, „dirty‟ and „impure‟.
Women and girls in rural setting and in particular girls in schools suffer most from stigma and lack of services and facilities to help them cope with the physical and psychological pains they undergo during their menstrual periods; inadequate preparations for the young girls not yet experiencing menstrual hygiene, lack of or inadequate water to clean and wash the body, lack of materials managing menstrual hygiene, private space and wash rooms and inappropriate facilities for disposal of materials for those who have used pads.
In spite of these issues, menstrual hygiene has been routinely ignored by professionals in the water, health and education sectors. Currently the means of copying for girl pupils is the use of old cloth, dirty napkins and other un-hygiene materials. CDN offers workshops and activities in schools, neighborhoods and communities with young girls and women to empower them or themes related to menstruation and sexual and reproductive health as well as give hygiene supplies to those in need.