StoryTellingatIrise:Girls’Voices31/03/2016
WASHImpactNetworkOnlineSeminar
@irise_int
TheIrise Story:
Irise Internationalwasfoundedinresponse toconcernsvoicedbyEastAfricanschoolgirlsduringresearchtoexplorebarrierstoschoolengagement.
Girlsfeltthatinadequateprovision formenstruationwashavinganegativeimpactontheirability toengageineducation. Atthetime,therewasvery littleawareness oftheissueandalackofevidence ontheimpactoftheproblem andeffective interventions.
Irise arguesthatpoorMenstrualHygieneManagement (MHM)isadriverofgender inequality andabarriertogirls’educationandempowerment, butthateffective evidence-based solutions canbedeveloped anddelivered atscalewithin5years.
TheChallenges:Startingconversationsaroundatabooissue
Explainingtherelevanceoftheissuetopeoplewhohavenevermenstruatedandneverlivedin
poverty.Farremovedfromtheirdailyexperience.
CommunicatinghowIrise believestheissuefitsintothebroadergirlsrightspicture.(intheabsenceofan
evidencebase)
What wedid: Madegirlsandwomen’svoicesandstoriescentrestagetobringtheirexperiences
aliveCommunicatedour
TheoryofChangeasthestoryofonegirl(wethen
setouttoproveit!)
Madewomenandgirlstheheroesofourstory.
Usedhumourandcreativitytobreakthetaboo
Voices:casestudies,blogs,interviews,poems
“Istartedtohavepainsonthefirstdayofmyperiodandcrawledtotheschoolmatron’sdoor.
Shetoldme the painwouldceasewhenI givebirthtoachild.Istartedtolookforwardtohavingachild.ShetoldmethatIwasnotallowedtotakeanypainkillersbecausenooneisallowedto
interferewiththenaturalprocess.Thepainbeingnatural,Ihadtobearit.”
“HerbeautifuldressStained…
Stainedwithblood.‘Whatonearthiswrong?’”
Voices:fromschoolgirls,students,advisorsandboardmembers
“Withthedawnofeverysingleperiod;theheat,thesittingarrangement,thelackofproperwashing
facilities,thelackofsanitarypads,theanxietyandself-consciousnessmademefeellikeIwasinprison,
amonthlyprison…Theshameofbloodleakingthroughyourskirt,boyscallingyounames,soresandinfections,tomentionbutafew,makes youhate
beingayounghealthywoman”
“DaddylistentomePleaselisten
BoyslaughedatmeWhentheysawbloodonmyskirt
Whatishappeningtome?”
MariamtheMHMSuperheroCreatedfortheMHMsteeringCommitteeinUganda
Usedtorallydiversepartnersaroundasharedmessage
Verypopularinternationallyandinlocalschools
SummaryofResults:
Animationviewedover10,000duringlaunchperiod.Relatedmaterialssharedover4,000times
Notableorganisationsandpeoplesharingthecampaign:
UNICEFUganda,NewVisionUganda,TheGirlEffect,ProfessorLindaScott,Lunette,CaitlinPerez,GuardianDevelopmentPros,SNVWorld,J&JGlobalHealth,PEAS,TheLancet,MuratSahin,MarieStopesUK,AfricanWomanMag,AndrePicard,Tearfund,Plan
Uganda,Pakistan,UK
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