Zimbabwean Women Want Dignity. Period!

In the UK women buy more than three billion disposable sanitary products every year. It's something we take for granted.

But millions of women in Zimbabwe go without these basic products. As a result many are suffering from infection, depression and, in some serious cases, infertility. There have also been examples of women being beaten by their husbands who wrongly attribute their infection to infidelity.

As Robert Mugabe's leadership plunges Zimbabwe deeper into crisis - basic goods like sanitary products are becoming a luxury item only available to the rich.

Thabitha Khumalo from the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions is angry about the lack of sanitary wear for women, which she says not only threatens women's health but also their dignity.

"Ordinary women cannot afford sanitary wear. We are inserting old pieces of cloth or newspapers, but the ink from the newspaper is causing infections, and there is no medication to cure this. It's immoral for the leadership to deny us our biological rights." she says.

Working in solidarity with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Action for Southern Africa has launched a campaign to raise funds to ensure that they can buy large quantities of sanitary products in South Africa, and distribute them free of charge to Zimbabwean Women. Thabitha and her colleagues are asking you to help the women of her country take back their dignity.

She urges you to donate generously. Your gift will make a huge difference now, and for many months to come, and provide the support that will improve women's lives.

Together we can lessen this serious and devastating problem in Zimbabwe.


Things you can do to help:

* Download and distribute the Dignity. Period! information leaflet.
* Raise awareness by reading and adding the related News article to your favourites.
* Sign the pledge to buy a Dignity. Period! wrist band. The purchase of just 1 wristband will help provide one months sanitary protection for 4 women in Zimbabwe.
* Set up a regular donation to the campaign. For 80p a month, 1 woman has protection for the year. For £2.50 a month, 3 women have protection for the year.
* Make a one'off donation directly to ACTSA. For £10, 1 woman has protection for a year.
* Donate to the campaign through JustGiving.
* If you are in the UK, sign the pledge to say that you will write to your MP asking him or her to sign the Parliamentary Early Day Motion
* If you are outside the UK, sign the pledge anyway, then contact your local government representative to ask them to join the campaign for dignity.


More Information

* The Dignity. Period! Campaign.
* Action For South Africa.
* Bodyform joins the campaign.
* This Is Zimbabwe's report on the campaign.
* Celebrities Back Tampon Rebels of Zimbabwe ' Sunday Times article.
* Youtube video of a Zimbabwean woman talking about the issue.
* Zimbabwe state security agents seize sanitary pads.


Please use this stamp in your journal footer or sidebar to help raise awareness of this issue. I have put as much information here as I can so that when people click through the link, they can find out what this is all about and what they can do to help. Thanks for your support!