The last time Missing Perspectives caught up with Mahwari Justice co-founders Bushra Mahnoor and Anum Khalid, they were hard at work providing menstrual hygiene products and support to women and girls impacted by the 2022 monsoon floods in Pakistan, which affected 33 million people across the country.
“It was extremely difficult to send in the menstrual pads to these women in the flood stricken areas because men who were in charge of relief kits, didn’t want to include these products during distribution” Bushra shared with Missing Perspectives when they were kicking off operations.
Two years later, they’re back at it. ICYMI: Intense rain has hit Pakistan’s south in 2024, with the monsoon’s death toll reaching 209 since July 1 this year, and over 2,200 homes damaged. Thousands have fled their homes, and government officials from the National Disaster Management Authority told reporters at ABC News America that fourteen people had died across the Punjab province during a 24 hour period of particularly heavy flash flooding.
Mahwari Justice is providing menstrual hygiene products and support for women and girls affected by the current floods in Pakistan. They have sent dignity kits to the city of Gwadar, and are planning to send more to the province of Sindh in the coming weeks. “As the monsoon season approached, we started mobilising our community of the potential devastation like the one unfolded in 2022. Our Sindh lead alerted us about the flooding of 45 villages due to the overflowing of the Rohri canal in August,” Programme Manager Zainab Aman says. “As we received the devastating news from Sindh, we packed over 600 dignity kits that are scheduled for transportation within this week.”
In January 2024, the team had received news of floods in Gwadar. “Immediately we sent 500 dignity kits to the affected areas. Anticipating the monsoon season in July, we began engaging our communities in think tanks focused on themes of menstruation and climate change. Educating and mobilising communities about the great impact climate change and natural calamities have on menstruation,” Aman tells Missing Perspectives.
“To mobilise community support we are utilising all available platforms to spread awareness about the cause and encourage everyone to join us in this effort,” she says. “We have been saying this since 2022, periods don’t stop in climate crisis, women’s access to essential menstrual products shouldn’t as well. No one should be left to deal with their periods without necessary material and dignity. No one.”
Aman says that the Mahwari movement is proudly acting as a “platform for countless young advocates who are raising their voices for a period friendly world and champion accessibility for all. We have built a community of activists, supporters and volunteers who have driven meaningful change within their own communities.”
She says that their biggest challenge has been the absence of systematic support. “Our biggest challenge has been the absence of systematic support. We are a youth-led movement, and our unwavering determination can move mountains. But we don’t often have access to substantial funds or products, yet we show up, and stay committed to making sure that accessibility to essential products is maintained, especially during times of crisis.”
Challenges faced by the team have been exacerbated by what Aman describes as the “persistent stigma surrounding periods.” “Because the stigma is still there, people don’t talk about periods openly they hesitate to ask for menstrual products even during crisis. All of this, is why we need collective action.”
Learn more about Mahwari Justice’s work – and how to donate – here.