Menstrual Health and Hygiene awareness sessions for female prison inmates were conducted across Sri Lanka by the H.E.R Foundation supported by Fems in celebration of the International Women’s Day.
The program undertaken throughout March reached approximately 250 female inmates across six correctional facilities, in Bogambara, Agunakolapelessa, Negombo, Kuruwita, and Anuradhapura prisons.
Prison Department Commissioner of Rehabilitation Jagath Weerasinghe said, “Access to proper menstrual hygiene is a basic need that is often overlooked in correctional facilities. Since last year, we have been receiving monthly donations of sanitary napkins to the central prison system. These awareness sessions for the International Women’s Day also provided good education. This private-state partnership helps bridge a critical gap in women’s health services.”
Hemas Consumer Brands Feminine Hygiene Marketing Manager Sachini Gamage said, “Our commitment to a more equitable and inclusive society for every woman remains unwavering. Through this awareness session program in prisons, we are supporting the dignity that comes with proper education and the care every woman deserves.”
“The gap in menstrual health support in Sri Lanka extends beyond simple product access. It is a silent struggle affecting women’s dignity, education, and opportunities. For female inmates, the challenge is particularly acute. This initiative fights that inequity, ensuring that menstrual dignity is a right, not a privilege, for every woman, no matter her circumstances,” the Foundation said in a media release.
“Beyond material support, the initiative includes educational sessions where healthcare professionals address menstrual health questions directly from participants – a critical resource in an environment where women typically have restricted access to information and few opportunities to discuss these intimate health concerns,” the release added.
