What’s a dignity kit? — Global Issues

What precisely is a dignity package? On the heels of Menstrual Hygiene Day, marked yearly on 28 Could, listed here are 5 quick details:

1. What’s a dignity package?

Responding to emergencies, UN businesses act quick to succeed in folks in want, together with the UN Youngsters’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN sexual and reproductive well being company, UNFPA. A part of what these and different support organizations do to assist is to distribute primary provides to keep up the well being and dignity of ladies and women. Many of those are included inside containers referred to as dignity kits.

A dignity package includes primary objects that ladies and women want to guard themselves and preserve hygiene, respect and dignity within the face of disasters, struggle and different crises.

This stuff are all housed inside a backpack or easy-to-carry bucket.

2. What’s inside?

UNFPA’s dignity kits range throughout communities. The essential package accommodates 10 key important objects.

Kits may also be customised with 39 completely different objects. In some settings, for instance, they could embrace a scarf.

Usually, they comprise menstrual pads, tub cleaning soap, a number of pairs of underwear, detergent powder, sanitary napkins, a flashlight, toothpaste, a toothbrush and a comb.

Every of these things is catered to the particular wants of ladies and women in communities around the globe.

3. Why is menstruation assist essential in instances of crises?

All ladies and women who’re menstruating want primary provides. However, in instances of disaster, these wants typically fall to the wayside.

So, UN emergency support operations have jumped in to offer them with the essential necessities. That features in warzones, disaster-affected communities and in refugee camps. In these sorts of disaster conditions, entry to primary items and companies is affected, so the UN tries to satisfy these wants.

Offering interval assist can enhance well being, cut back gender-based violence and extra. Learn UNFPA’s explainer on 5 key the reason why right here.

Be taught extra about how the UN company helps ladies and women in war-torn Gaza within the video beneath:

4. How do you get a dignity package?

UNFPA and UNICEF preserve prepositioned shares of dignity kits of their humanitarian warehouses.

For example, UNFPA provides may be delivered wherever on the earth inside 48 hours.

UNICEF, which maintains the world’s largest humanitarian items warehouse situated in Denmark, has kits available, prepared for distribution to crisis-affected areas.

The UN by no means fees beneficiaries for humanitarian support. So, the dignity kits together with different emergency help are free.

Watch how UNFPA reached out to ladies and women affected by the 2023 lethal earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria beneath:

5. Ending ‘interval poverty’

Key to UN efforts aimed toward addressing the wants of menstruating ladies and women is elevating consciousness whereas stemming what known as “interval poverty”.

UN Ladies defines interval poverty because the “incapability to afford and entry menstrual merchandise, sanitation and hygiene services and schooling and consciousness to handle menstrual well being”. It’s attributable to stigma, excessive prices of menstrual merchandise and lack of water and sanitation services.

Ending the stigma of menstruation is a part of UN efforts to boost consciousness in communities around the globe, from The Gambia to Nepal.

Take a look at this explainer video from UNFPA Nepal, with English subtitles, about dignity kits beneath: