Building the Evidence

Washable Pad Acceptability Study in South Africa

The South African Department of Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities, commissioned a study from MIET Africa to conduct a systematic study on the acceptability of washable menstrual pads among school-aged girls in three provinces. DfG partnered with MIET Africa, UNFPA South Africa, and Water Aid to procure DfG washable pads for use in this study. Learnings from this study will inform efforts to include washable pads as a recommended product option under the South Africa Sanitary Dignity Program, expanding product choice for students. Stay tuned for updates on this study by signing up for the DfG Advocacy Newsletter!

Development and compliance of standards for menstrual products in South Asia and Africa

DfG serves on the Technical Advisory Group and served as a Technical Support Provider for this effort, supported by Development Solutions and the Reproductive Health Supply Coalition (RHSC). We were part of a global team seeking to understand the status and enforcement of regulatory standards for disposable and reusable sanitary pads in South Asia and Africa, specifically taking a closer look at Uganda, Kenya and Nepal. The goal of this project was to bring greater global harmony amongst these current disparate standards. The results of this study contributed to a database for standards for disposable and reusable products that can be found HERE.