Menstrual Health and Hygiene Partnership with MIT D-Lab and
​the Society Empwerment Project in Oyugis Kenya

Period poverty is a major factor limiting menstruators' access to education. "For millions of girls across Africa and Asia today, menstruation means staying home from school. Often, owing to a lack of period products, these girls miss up to a week of class every month" (Nicholas Kristof, NYT 4 Jan 2025). Lack of education directly impacts economic opportunity and long-term well-being. Even in the United States, period poverty is a pressing issue because "period products are not a luxury item" (Clare Pfeiffer, a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the tampon tax, quoted in Emma Goldberg, NYT 13 Jan 2021; Ballard Brief 2023). Period poverty is only one side of the larger problem of shame, stigma, and isolation that typically accompanies menstruation and complicates menstruators' relationship not only with others, but also with their bodies (Karen Zraick, 22 July 2018; Jeffrey Gettleman, 19 June 2018). Systemic change to both material conditions and social norms is needed.

D-Lab & SEP

Sally Haslanger and Libby McDonald have taught a course on Gender and Development ​in MIT D-Lab every fall since since 2019. One of the projects in the course has been a partnership with the Society Empowerment Project in Oyugis, Kenya, to promote sexual and reproductive health and menstrual health and hygiene through public narrative and co-design.  

Co-Design for Menstrual Health and Hygiene 

Knowledge

Most youth in Oyugis have little access to sex education and enter puberty without knowledge of what is happening to their bodies.  D-Lab has worked with SEP to produce culturally and age appropriate curricula for youth on sexual and reproductive health.

Public Narrative

Based on the work of Marshall Ganz at the Harvard Kennedy School, D-Lab has worked with SEP to provide workshops, some in local high schools and some with young women who have dropped out of school due to pregnancy, around the experience of menstruation. Participants go through the three steps of public narrative (story of self, story of us, and story of now) together. These workshops enable participants to identify shared values and sense of community in combating the isolation and shame of menstruation.

Co-Design

Having participated in Creative Capacity Building Workshops and co-design, facilitators and youth at SEP decided that a first step for addressing the challenges faced by young women would be to provide menstrual products. This would give girls greater opportunities to stay in school, since many drop out at puberty due to the challenges of managing menstruation. They designed a reusable sanitary towel, taking it through many iterations.

Build-it

In the process of building prototypes, a crucial step was to learn to sew. D-lab facilitators began to teach the basics in the workshops, but SEP participants also worked with local seamstresses to move from hand sewing, to sewing on pedal machines, to eventually using electric machines. 

Prototype

In time, SEP developed a workable prototype of a reusable sanitary towel and wet bag so that girls could have the option of changing towels at school. You can find more photos of the work here and here.

Production

With support from USAID for sewing machines and tables, and PUM (Netherlands) for a serger, SEP is now employing teen moms and other unemployed youth in the production of their patented sanitary towel. It is marketed as Sulue. In Luo, Sulue means individual strength and self-esteem. SEP uses it for its product to dispel misconceptions about menstruation, such as stigma and taboos, and to emphasize that women can be strong, healthy, and happy while menstruating. The package contains 3 towels, a bar of soap, a washcloth, and a wetbag. It can be found in local shops and is sold to hospitals and other facilities.

Data Collection and Impact

SEP has been recognized by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the UN sponsored Leading Like Mandela Leadership Development Programme for the quality of its work and its impact on economic empowerment.

Outreach and Ongoing Work

SEP has integrated the menstrual health and hygiene program with other programs for youth empowerment. The goal is not only to change the material conditions, but also change gender norms and enhance opportunity. In the new phase of D-Lab's work with SEP, we are working with teen moms to start their own small businesses to address food insecurity and promote collective agency.

Thanks to MIT D-Lab and the Trotula Fund for funding to support this work.

Our work would not be possible without the passion and hard work of the SEP staff.
​We are forever grateful.

Festus Juma, SEP Executive Director

Lourraine C. Atieno, Programs Director

James Ochieng, Finance and Accounts Officer

Leila Akinyi, Monitoring and Evaluations Officer

Winfrida Otieno, Communications and Public Relations Officer

Goretty Ochieng, Sales and Marketing Officer

Sharon Omollo, Programs Assistant

We are also deeply grateful for Faith Kathoka, a D-lab trained facilitator who works at the UN World Food Programme in Nairobi, and takes the time to assist us on the ground in workshops at SEP.

And, of course, our students in the class at MIT (which always includes Harvard and Wellesley students)

July 2023 travel cohort with SEP team

January 2024 travel cohort

Photo credits: Winfrida Otieno (find her on LinkedIn), Sally Haslanger, and others