From menstrual dignity to digital safety: How grassroots feminists are redefining gender justice

March 12, 2026

Grassroots feminist activists across Nigeria, Pakistan, and Paraguay are transforming gender justice from charity-based approaches into systemic, rights-based reforms that address fundamental barriers to women's participation in society. In Nigeria, Udoka Anita Ikebua's advocacy led to Bauchi State passing the country's first legislation establishing free sanitary pad banks in schools and prisons, moving beyond temporary distribution to permanent infrastructure that keeps girls in classrooms. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Marium Amjad Khan works through a coalition of over 115 civil society organizations to strengthen social protection systems and implementation of existing laws, recognizing that economic security is essential for democratic participation.

Who is affected

Teenage girls in Nigerian schools who lack access to menstrual products
Incarcerated women in Nigerian correctional facilities
Girls facing child marriage and women experiencing domestic violence in Pakistan
Women in Pakistan burdened by poverty, unpaid care work, and climate shocks
Belén Whittingslow, a Paraguayan student who accused a professor of harassment and was forced into exile
Women journalists, politicians, and activists targeted by coordinated online harassment
LGBTQ+ communities and civil society groups in Paraguay
Male students participating in menstrual education in Nigeria
Over 115 civil society organizations in the Pakistan Development Alliance

What action is being taken

Project Pad A Girl is operating pad banks in Nigerian schools where girls can discreetly access menstrual supplies from counselor's offices
Nigerian advocates are lobbying for removal of value-added tax on menstrual products
The Pakistan Development Alliance is bringing together civil society organizations to amplify collective voices in policy spaces
TEDIC is providing digital security training to activists, LGBTQ+ communities, and civil society groups through its Free and Safe on the Internet initiative
TEDIC is running the "La Violencia Digital es Real" (Digital Violence is Real) campaign
Project Pad A Girl is conducting menstrual education sessions that intentionally include boys

Why it matters

These initiatives represent a fundamental shift from treating gender inequality as a charitable concern to recognizing it as a structural barrier requiring systemic policy solutions. Menstrual dignity directly impacts school retention and long-term economic opportunity for girls, while social protection systems determine whether women have the economic security necessary to participate in democratic processes, organize politically, or run for office. Digital safety has become essential to free speech and public participation, as online violence effectively silences women's voices in digital public spaces. Together, these efforts demonstrate that gender justice is inseparable from economic security, digital safety, and institutional accountability, making them foundational pillars of democracy rather than peripheral social issues.

What's next

Advocates in Nigeria are working to remove the value-added tax on menstrual products, though progress is described as slow in the male-dominated legislature
TEDIC emphasizes that addressing digital violence requires coordinated action from governments, tech companies, and civil society as new technologies like deepfakes and AI tools create intensifying risks

Read full article from source: Global Voices