Menstrual Equity for Girls in Latin America

In rural Ecuador, educational and professional opportunities for women and girls are limited, but Days for Girls Ecuador’s (DfGE) Social Enterprise is committed to making a transformative impact. On the ground, DfGE works with communities that face barriers to accessing menstrual health (MH) education and products, and other resources like advocacy workshops. DfGE’s work promotes learning at the community level and challenges perceptions and practices related to menstruation and reproductive health.

Last year, under the dedicated leadership of Andrea Espinoza, DfGE embarked on an initiative to conduct critical outreach to indigenous communities in the Pastaza province. Collaborating with Lineth Calapucha, Vice-Prefect of Pastaza, the project aimed to distribute DfG Kits and provide MH education to help build and strengthen local capacity across the targeted communities. Distributions took place in the remote areas of Curaray, Canelos and Conambo.

While visiting rural communities can be challenging, the indigenous groups of Curaray have established cultural practices and protocols for interaction with outsiders. These protocols are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of both the community and visitors. Tribal representatives are crucial figures in facilitating communication and understanding between the community and those seeking to visit. Through respectful dialogue and adherence to these protocols, DfGE was able to build a collaborative relationship with the community and distribute 92 Kits to women and girls. The participants actively engaged in the education and distribution process, demonstrating their interest in mental health awareness. Respectful dialogue and adherence to established protocols are essential for building positive relationships and ensuring mutually beneficial interactions.

DfGE's positive impact expanded to Canelos and Conambo, where Andrea and her team, in collaboration with local communities, distributed a total of 120 Kits to women and girls. In Conambo, over 500 people actively participated in an MH education session, demonstrating a strong community interest in the initiative. This successful project, which directly reached 350 women and girls with DfG Kits and menstrual health education, is a testament to the combined efforts of Andrea, local community leaders, and Lineth (the Vice-Prefect), alongside the ongoing support of the Ecuadorian government.

Following the distributions, increased community awareness has generated interest in additional partner relations, showcasing the ripple effect of our collective action and impact. Andrea is preparing for another outreach project, distributing DfG Kits to communities in the remote mountainous regions of Ecuador, increasing access to menstrual care and education for indigenous women, girls and people with periods across Ecuador.

Expressing gratitude, Andrea remarked, “We are very happy and grateful as the DfG Ecuador team to have had the opportunity to visit these communities. They are ancestral territories full of wisdom that deserve support to improve their quality of life.”

On behalf of our DfGE community members, thank you for helping to make this work possible!