Project SNAPS Update
- May 22
- 2 min read
Providing tribal women & girls with access to sanitary napkins.
Empowering women & girls through awareness & training to promote menstrual hygiene & to provide access to sanitary napkins (SNAPS) is of utmost importance to break the culture of silence & to be able to discuss the concerns of women & adolescent girls related to reproductive & sexual health.
WHY PROJECT SNAPS?
Poor menstrual hygiene not only causes 70% of all female reproductive diseases in India, but can lead to maternal mortality, a lower school attendance for girls & fewer women in the workforce.
200 million women villagers aged 12-47 are estimated to be precluded from freely engaging in & contributing to community life during their periods due to lack of access to suitable sanitary protection.
Village girls & women miss up to 50 days of school or work per year & India as a whole loses close to $7 billion in productivity.
The issues of menstrual untouchability and religious taboos in rural areas are strong.
Location: Odisha, Eastern India
Delivering Partner: Jeevan Rekha Parishad
Funding partner: Monsoon Trust
Start date: 2012
Beneficiaries to date: 6000+
Outcomes: Empowerment of women & girls, improved health & hygience, new income streams
The Project
Project SNAPS enables tribal women & adolescent girls in remote villages to access hygienic, cost-effective, eco-disposable SNAPS.
Women villagers form Self-Help Groups (SHGs), produce the SNAPS & generate income from their sale to health workers & schools.
With access to SNAPS, girls are helped to remain in school – avoiding typical 20% dropout rates for girls at puberty. The project also addresses issues of reproductive health & hygiene
Project SNAPS is replicable in multiple clusters of villages, continuing to spread into new tribal communities as Jeevika Trust’s reach has expanded in Odisha over time.
Most recently, Project SNAPS has been implemented in Daspalla district alongside sustainable water management strategies as part of our Smart Farm Model.
Once a SNAPS project is established, it is self-sustaining so with minimal upfront investment women and girls can be empowered into the future.
HOW DOES THE PROJECT SNAPS MODEL WORK?
10 women’s SHGs produce SNAPS
25 SHG women market/sell SNAPS
5000 women/adolescent girls (200 from each of 25 villages) receive reproductive health education/access to SNAPS
500 school-going adolescent girls from 5 high schools receive reproductive health education/access to SNAPS
£20 can keep a girl in school for one year
£50 can pay for a training day for 25 women in an SHG to produce & market SNAPS
Help us to continue Project SNAPS.
To find out more or make a donation contact us at info@jeevika.org.uk
