CARE International and WoMena Uganda are currently concluding a menstrual cup (MC) pilot implementation project in Imvepi Refugee Settlement, funded by European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO). This is the second pilot that WoMena has conducted on the use of menstrual cups (the Ruby Cup brand) with refugee women in Uganda. Based on findings from previous studies and Menstrual Health Management (MHM) projects conducted by WoMena, the project’s goal was to improve the capacity of female beneficiaries to
safely and effectively manage their menstruation with a menstrual cup called “Ruby Cup”, and to improve general knowledge and perceptions around menstruation in the community. The pilot was integrated into CARE’s existing gender-based violence sector support programs in West Nile and was prompted by evidence of a strong linkage between Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) and Gender based violence (GBV) in various CARE assessments. CARE collected information on refugee girls engaging in transactional sex to buy pads. Married women reported being beaten by their husbands because they cut blankets to manage their periods. Many report how the lack of MHM options prevents women and girls from “living” normally as they have to “sit in the sand” and wait when they have their periods.