In the drought-stricken provinces of Angola, girls and young women face significant challenges in managing menstruation. The scarcity of water and lack of information about sexual and reproductive health create obstacles to their well-being and education. This vulnerability also exposes them to harmful gender norms  and gender-based violence, often leading to school dropout.

To address this crisis, UNFPA, in partnership with the Government of Angola, received funding from the Government of Japan through its Embassy in Angola. This financial support made it possible to purchase menstrual hygiene products for 10,500 girls, giving them a renewed sense of empowerment and dignity. Now, these girls are able to attend school and take part in other activities without interruption. In addition, 3,000 boys benefited from the sessions, gaining greater knowledge about what is considered a taboo subject for boys in many communities.

In addition, as part of this programme and with the support of the Government of Japan, multi-purpose tents have been set up in some communities. These spaces, called "Girl and Women Friendly Space", offer a safe and welcoming environment where girls and young women can discuss issues related to sexual and reproductive health, as well as gender-based violence (GBV) and others that are of common interest to them.

(Girl and Women Friendly Space | ©UNFPA Angola/Dorivaldo Caetano)

The Japanese Ambassador to Angola, Suzuki Toru, commented on the programme: "Our priority is to promote the fundamental values of human security, i.e. human rights and gender issues in Namibe and Cunene."

"The impact of the drought in these regions is profound and especially affects girls and women. It was therefore essential to promote a health programme dedicated to women," he stressed.

The ambassador expressed his satisfaction with the initiative: "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with these organizations. Angola has a lot of potential, but it is still in a fragile position when it comes to gender issues. It's very important for us to work together, not only with the Angolan government, but also with other organizations, NGOs and UN organizations such as UNFPA".

(Japanese Ambassador to Angola, Suzuki Toru | ©UNFPA Angola/Isenta) | Watch the video interview about the programme, with testimonials from government partners!

About the Programme:

The Menstrual Health Management and Life-Saving Support Programme for Young People and Internally Displaced Persons (Cunene and Namibe) is a humanitarian response to girls and young women and boys aged 10 to 19 on the issues of sexual and reproductive health (SRH), menstrual health management, sexually transmitted infections, and the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV). From January to December 2023, 13,500 people were reached with key messages on SRH, GBV, 4,500 dignity kits were delivered to girls, 55 trainers in menstrual health management were certified and sexual and reproductive health kits to support the work of midwives and enable clean births were distributed to 30,000 women in hospital units. Likewise, kits for treating sexually transmitted infections were delivered to 30,000 people in reference hospital units. This initiative is the result of a partnership between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government of Angola and is funded by the Government of Japan through its Embassy in Angola.

Text: Dorivaldo Caetano, Social Media Associate