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Rabat – New Era, a social movement by women and for women, is aiming for a cultural paradigm shift in Morocco as it puts a much-needed spotlight on the struggles of young Moroccan women in remote and marginalized areas.
Founded by Nada Chaddadi, and Meryam El Mounib, New Era found a willing cradle in the Oum Kaltoum Foundation, a local NGO dedicated to uplifting Casablanca’s Sidi Moumen community.
The movement’s first campaign took the fight against period poverty to its ultimate frontier — Morocco’s remote villages.
In November, the young activists, with the help of the Oum Kaltoum Foundation, launched a campaign to distribute 300 menstrual underwear units and menstrual pain medication in Ouinskra, a remote village located 80 kilometers from Marrakech.
Read Also: Activists Launch Campaign to Fight Period Poverty in Morocco
The campaign, seemingly aiming to distribute female hygiene products, had a broader vision of triggering cultural change and deconstructing misconceptions surrounding menstruation.
Interview with New Era co-founder Nada Chddadi
Speaking with Morocco World News, Nada Chaddadi said that the campaign was more focused on raising awareness. The activists attempted to break through shame and shyness barriers to inform women on pertinent health concerns related to menstruation.
“At first, women were intimidated, but within minutes, people became more animated, raising multiple questions, which really helped us in the process of raising awareness.” The campaign was a real success, according to the young activist.
Commenting on the cultural aspect of the campaign, the activist told MWN that the campaign was met with open arms by the small village community. Despite being a taboo topic in Moroccan culture, overall, “everyone was so helpful and men helped with the distribution of female hygiene products,” the activist continued.
The lack of data quantifying the issue makes it almost impossible to trace the exact damage caused by period poverty on the lives of thousands of young women in rural Morocco.
Limited access to menstruation hygiene products translates into missing school days, setting off a domino effect that oftentimes results in young women dropping out of school, according to the co-founder of New Era, Nada Chaddadi.
The activist shared with MWN stories of young women who can’t find even period pads in their local villages. The young women often ask elder sisters to bring them period pads on their way back from high schools located 40 minutes away on foot.
In addition to the unavailability of period pads, young women in remote villages almost have no access to pain medication to treat period pain. The pain reaches excruciating levels during the cold months of the year coinciding with harsh winter conditions.
Chaddadi further shared with MWN stories of girls as young as 13-year-olds who were forced to skip school every month during menstruation, leading them to fail the school year and eventually drop out of school.
The shocking details possibly reflect the reality of thousands of young women across Morocco destined for a sub-optimal future just because they can’t afford menstruation hygiene products or can’t find them in their local communities.
Compiling data is also of central concern to the movement, reflecting their multifaceted approach to eradicating period poverty in Morocco. “In collaboration with the Oum Kaltoum Foundation, we hope to locate more villages, achieve a broader impact, and help young women fulfill their potentials,” commented the young activist.
The main issues facing the campaign were logistical and financial because reaching remote villages located in mountains is extremely complicated, Chaddadi explained.
Snow further aggravated the issue, making villages the campaign targets inaccessible from December till the end of June, details the activist.
There were also financial constraints, with the activist noting that “finding sponsors to fund our campaign was also a complex process.”
Period poverty is a social issue deeply rooted in culture and with far-reaching socio-economic consequences.
It challenges the core foundations of an equitable society, founded on the basis of equal access to education.
Commenting on the campaign, Ismail Berrada, spokesperson for the Oum Kaltoum Foundation, told MWN that the foundation strives for border impact by helping initiatives like New Era.
“With solid partners such as BMCI, we provide the proper structure for young people to raise awareness on social and cultural issues,” explained the spokesperson.
The foundation also aims to raise awareness on environmental issues, according to Berrada. The first campaign launched by New Era has also an environmental purpose: Bringing to public attention the environmental damage caused by period pads and suggesting environmental-friendly alternatives.
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