StoryTellingatIrise:Girls’Voices31/03/2016

WASHImpactNetworkOnlineSeminar

www.irise.org.ukinfo@irise.org.uk

@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?”

Voices:beforeandafterIrise’s support…

Voices:achainofempowerment

CommunicatingourTheoryofChangethroughthestoryofMariam…

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

ThePantsProtest:usinghumour!It’sPantsthatgirlsaremissingoutbecauseoftheirperiods…