Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the provision of hand-operated machines that make sanitary pads across (1) India, (2) Nepal, (3) Bangladesh, (4) Afghanistan, (5) South Africa, and (6) Zimbabwe.

Access to affordable sanitary products is a key barrier to women’s full participation in society. The UK is supporting a number of innovative projects to enhance sanitary product access and choice, including a technology transfer initiative with the Indian company Aakar (https://www.aakarinnovations.com/) to enable them to take their women’s enterprise and simple technology model for the local production of quality, low-cost, environmentally-friendly sanitary pads to Kenya and Tanzania. Through funding from the Girls Education Challenge fund, World Vision have been training women’s groups in Zimbabwe to make reusable sanitary pads as part of a wider programme to support 95,000 vulnerable girls to stay in school.

We also support menstrual hygiene management more broadly through health, girls’ education and water, sanitation and hygiene programmes across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

The UK is committed to enabling all girls and women to manage menstruation safely, hygienically and with dignity, allowing them to stay in school and participate in society during their period. This includes ensuring that schools, workplaces and public places cater for the needs of menstruating women, that they are free from stigma and discrimination and have access to low-cost appropriate sanitary products.