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Dignity kits meet hygiene needs of women and girls in Pakistan

Catastrophic floods have destroyed huge areas of Pakistan. Among the millions of severely affected people are at least 650,000 pregnant women and girls, 73,000 of whom are expected to deliver in the next month. Many of these women are lack access to the healthcare facilities and support they need to deliver their children safely.

Climate change has increased health pressures on pregnant women, new mothers, and their families in Pakistan, and exacerbated existing inequities in maternal and newborn health. The negative impacts of climate change are unevenly experienced, with pregnant women among the groups most severely affected.

Flooding has also severely damaged Pakistan’s crumbling healthcare infrastructure. The extensive damage to roads and communication networks further hinders access to clinics and hospitals. These barriers not only affect women and girls giving birth, but also those seeking access to contraception and menstrual hygiene products and other reproductive health services.

Ecumenical Commission for Human Development is working to meet these needs, providing safe spaces for young girls and women, psychosocial support for victims of violence, and sexual and reproductive health services.  

Ecumenical Commission for Human Development is also distributing dignity kits, which contain hygiene supplies such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, sanitary pads and underclothes to women and girls of reproductive age, which enabled them to respond to the challenges caused by the temporary relocation to settlements.