Philadelphia Organization Protects African Girls Reproductive Health By Sewing Period Panties

The Philidelphia organization creates reusable period panties for African girls.

Black women in Philadelphia have banded together to address “menstrual hygiene management” in Africa. The group meets weekly to sew reusable panties for young African girls.

Ujima Friends Peace Center hosts the group, named the Pan-African Sisterhood Health Initiative. Up to 35 Black women, one white woman, and one Black man arrive faithfully to create “reusable, washable cotton menstruation pads,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Maisha Sullivan-Ongoza, founder of the Pan-African Sisterhood Health Initiative, spoke to the outlet about the organization’s goals.

“We use 100% cotton fabric. We researched and found a commercial product called Zorb, a 100% compressed cotton that absorbs liquid that is seven to eight times its weight. Then we used a laminated cotton material as the water-resistant layer,” she said.

Through meticulous research to ensure the product is safe, effective, and has long-term sustainability, Sullivan-Ongoza believes the construction of the product will change and save lives.

“I just love the impact it’s having. They’re not using something that’s unhealthy. They are not vulnerable to [sexual] predators taking advantage of them [in exchange for buying pads]. They have something so they can manage their periods with dignity.”

Period poverty is harming young women across the African continent. Over the years, the cost of period products has increased in multiple countries. A 2022 report by Global Citizen highlights the stories of young women whose education and lives are hindered by their inability to access period products.

“I skipped school because once I stained my uniform, the boys teased me. It has affected my confidence,” Opoku, 15, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Ghana’s southern Ashanti Region.

Skipping school is only one of the worries the 15-year-old faces. Without regular access to pads or tampons, the Ghanaian girl is forced to free-bleed or use alternatives such as baby diapers and random scraps of cloth. The use of alternative products comes with a risk to hygiene and health. Women without the ability to clean and replenish period products risk infection that can lead to a host of reproductive health issues.

“Girls can contract general bacterial infections from using pieces of cloth,” said Anita Asamoah, an independent public health advocate. “If proper care is not taken, these infections can later lead to pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility.”

The Philadelphian organization is working to ensure that African girls do not suffer from these horrible circumstances. The Pan-African Sisterhood Health Initiative’s period panties are reusable for up to three years if maintained properly.