Our Story

The I Am Woman Project emerged from a university study tour to Northwest Maharashtra India in 2018 for social work and education students.

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IAW Model of Development

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During our 2018 study tour to Northwest Maharashtra India, we spent time in disadvantaged rural villages. We talked with many women and girls about their health and well being.

From our conversations we learned:

  • A generation of women and girls cannot fulfill their dreams because of period poverty.

  • 8 out of every 10 women and girls cannot afford period products.

  • Period poverty forces 1 in 5 girls to drop out of school.

  • With little or no access to safe Menstrual Health Management -MHM, women and girls resort to dangerous alternatives like ash, husk, sand, or unsanitised cloth.

After the 2018 study tour, with guidance from the women and girls we worked with, we set up a Gofundme page to fund pairs of period underwear for women and girls to use. For many of them, this was their first experience of using period underwear.

We then collected data on the experiences for women and girls using a written survey. Our data showed that using period underwear was positive and empowering for them.

Click to read some the responses to our survey

  • “Period underwear is a boon for us. We feel more confident in ourselves when we work and look after our families.”

  • “I can go to school while I have my period and not worry about leakages”

  • “We need to work together and explore other safe and hygienic ways to manage our periods. There is so much more we need to be doing for our daughters and grand-daughters. Now is the time to start.”

In the follow up study tour of 2019, we used the survey to inform our next steps. We facilitated many enriching conversations with young girls about their experiences of menstruation

  • “From a young age, we have been told to whisper about our periods or say as little as possible on the subject to anyone, even our friends. We deal with them alone".

  • "Today I feel stronger sharing my stories and I now know I am connected to my friends in a way that I didn’t think was possible.”

We listened to older women about their hopes and dreams for a healthier future

  • “We want our daughters and grand-daughters to have more than what we were unable to have. They deserve good health through their life cycle.”

We liaised with local leaders and councils to formulate a plan for locally produced and locally distributed period underwear for women and girls

  • “There are more women living rurally who are increasingly carving a space to set up a business to sell period underwear. Making and distributing these innovative options which help women stay healthy, is important for our community’s future.”

2020-ongoing
We established a non-for-profit registered charity, the I Am Woman Rural Project. We created partnerships with NGOs in India which address Menstrual Health Management -MHM

  • “The study tours are the seeds for our charity, the I Am Woman Project".

  • “Our values align with IAW's. This means together we can achieve fundamental change in the lives of marginalised women and girls".

2023-ongoing
We extend our charity’s work into Nepal and we change our name to the I Am Woman Project to show we are working beyond India. We partner with United Communities Nepal- UniCoN- and the Equal Community Foundation-ECF- to deliver Gender Equity Social Action programs in Nepal.

  • “IAW’s work is important because it can help stop harassment and violence against women and girls. It has the potential to change the behaviour of some boys, and these boys can spread the learning to their peers and families which will help change society.”

  • “We know that our Gender Equity Social Action programs are not a quick fix. Rather the impacts of these programs will be felt across generations and we will, in time, see that life is better and safer for women and girls.

2023-ongoing
We provide opportunities for Australian social work students to complete their final field education experience in Pokhara, Nepal with host NGOs which work closely with IAW and with other grassroots organisations working in GBV

  • “While in Nepal, I worked closely with local disability service providers and advocated for child friendly spaces in schools, particularly for girls. This meant that children were able to, for the first time, attend school on a regular basis and get the support they needed to learn and feel part of the school community.”

  • In Nepal I had the opportunity to work with one of IAW partner NGOs- UniCoN. I was able to visit some rural communities and run focus groups for women and girls on the issues that mattered to them the most. I developed a deeper understanding of GBV and the important work IAW and its partners are doing to address the root causes of GBV.

All of our activities are approved by the Australian Charities and Non-for-Profit Commission- ACNC. Here is a list of our Approved Activities for 2022-2026.

  • Women and girls need information on safer and more comfortable options for managing their periods across their life time.

    Young people need to have the support to understand the impacts of Gender Based Violence-GBV and this includes period poverty. We work with young people to become agents of change in their families and communities.

  • We support our NGO partners to train Community Mobilisers so they can teach women and girls about Menstrual Health Management-MHM.

    We support our NGO partners to deliver Gender Equity Social Action programs to young people. Our trained Mentors facilitate safe and supportive spaces so that young people can explore the varying types and impacts of GBV in their families and communities.

EDUCATION

  • When women and girls do not have information and support to manage their Menstrual Health, this has a domino effect on the health and well-being of their families and communities.

    This type of Gender Based Violence-GBV- has a profound and long term toll on the health and well-being of women and girls.

  • We support our NGO partners to create and deliver evidence based training on Menstrual Health Management-MHM to our Community Mobilisers so they can support women and girls with the latest information on Menstrual Health. Good Menstrual Health is instrumental to the overall health and well-being of women, girls, their families and their communities.

    We provide Gender Equity Social Action training programs to Mentors. Our Mentors are trained to help young people explore, amongst other things, the intersection between, health, well being and GBV.

HEALTH

  • Women and girls who experience financial disadvantage are more at risk of not being able to access Menstrual Health Care when they need it.

    We recognise that harmful gender roles deny women and girls rights to employment, health and education.

  • Our Menstrual Health Management Community Mobilisers not only provide evidence-based education, but they also provide women and girls with low cost options for managing their periods, especially for those experiencing the long term impacts of financial disadvantage.

    Our Gender Equity Social Action Mentors empower young people to have conversations with their families and communities on the root cause of inequality and disadvantage experienced by women and girls.

RELIEVING DISADVANTAGE

PROMOTION & PROTECTION OF
HUMAN RIGHTS

  • Research is one of the cornerstones in promoting human rights and eliminating discriminatory practices against women and girls.

  • We support our NGO partners to collect data from focus group discussions, one to one interviews and surveys on the outcomes of our activities .

    Together we review and analyse our data to inform our future activities so that we can continue to promote the human rights of women and girls.