The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Angola is committed to boosting entrepreneurship and menstrual health management among adolescents and young women, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote gender equality and women empowerment.
Thus, in partnership with the Government of Angola, specifically with the Ministries of Youth and Sports and Social Action, Family and Women's Promotion, resources were made available for the creation of two sewing rooms equipped with 15 semi-industrial machines in the Provinces of Luanda and Lunda Sul, for the training of adolescents and young women in entrepreneurship and menstrual health management.
As part of this initiative, on November 1st took place the official launch of the sewing room in Luanda, at the Casa da Juventude, a prestigious event with the presence of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Palmira Barbosa, and the Representative from UNFPA in Angola, Dr. Mady Biaye. The training in the province of Luanda took place from October 25th to November 3rd.
In turn, the official launch of the sewing room in Saurimo, province of Lunda-Sul took place on the 17th of November, an activity that was attended by the Vice-Governor for the Political, Social and Economic Sector, Mendes Lourenço Gaspar, UNFPA Assistant Representative in Angola, Marina Coelho, as well as the Directors of the Provincial Offices of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports and Social Action, Family and Gender Equality, among other representatives of Public Institutions, Civil Society and of the Private Sector. The training in Lunda-Sul took place from the 6th to the 17th of November.
In the two provinces, the activities allowed the training of a total of 65 adolescents and young women who were able to reinforce their knowledge of their bodies thus making informed decisions about their sexual, reproductive and menstrual health, and gain cutting and sewing skills through the manufacture of reusable menstrual pads and other items, benefiting at the same time the management of their menstrual health and that of other women, while potentializing the creation of their own jobs.
Participants were nominated by UNFPA implementing partners MASFAMU, JIRO/MINJUD, AfriYan, Mwana Pwo, World Vision and CICA.
During the inauguration of the two sewing rooms, the Impact Report of the II Phase of the Menstrual Health Management Initiative in the Provinces of Benguela, Cuanza Sul, Lunda Sul and Moxico was launched. This secod phase of the MHM initiative benefited 2,000 girls and 2,000 boys with information on Sexual, Reproductive and Menstrual Health and the distribution of menstrual products (period panties and menstrual cycle watches - smartcycles) allowing girls to manage their menstruation with greater confidence and comfort and boys with a greater knowledge about sexual and reproductive health, supporting them in a more informed decision-making about their bodies.
The document can be consulted on the UNFPA Angola page at https://angola.unfpa.org/.
The trainings were facilitated by the Cape Verdean international consultant, Lara Almeida, responsible for the first training in this area held in Angola in 2021, with proven experience in the production and marketing of reusable menstrual products and feminine beauty items, as well as in the themes of gender equality and women's empowerment, in Cape Verde.
