Education Provides A Solution
Girls in many regions of the globe believe that menstruation is an illness and a barrier due to a lack of information.
They are unprepared for it and have no idea what is happening to them when their first bleed begins.
Furthermore, menstruation is still shunned, alienated, and stigmatized as filthy.
When you know that menstruation is the most normal and natural thing that happens in a female reproductive system, you start to understand that we should not be ashamed to talk about it. Therefore this Project is a Perfect Fit.
Menstruation should resemble a woman’s power.
Without menstruation and a healthy reproductive system, you and I would not have been born into this world.
Thankfully, there are menstruation activists, such as Tungga and Icha, the founders of Perfect Fit Indonesia.
Instant Karma had a brief interview to with the two Co-founders of Perfect Fit Tungga and Icha.
You guys are actively striving to de-stigmatize menstruation and raise menstrual awareness. Are you now menstrual activists?
Yes, we are.
Growing up as a woman, Icha and I never realized that we had a lack of awareness regarding our own bodies, our menstrual cycle, and our rights as a woman. We started to realize that menstruation is a really critical part to empower women and girls. We had a trip to Flores in 2018, when we were still working at Kopernik, an NGO based in Ubud that focuses on solving social and environmental challenges in Indonesia.
We started a project called “Perfect Fit” to improve menstruation and reproductive health awareness among women and girls in Flores, NTT Province.
During the project, we interviewed 150 women and girls, and we were shocked to learn that 58% of girls did not know where their menstrual blood comes from.
This challenge of lack of education reminded us of our own experience when we had our first period.
Is menstruation still a taboo topic in Indonesia in 2022?
Yes, talking deeply about menstruation and our own bodies is still very taboo. Girls will giggle when they hear the word menstruation and women are also not comfortable sharing.
As a result, 88% of Indonesian women did not know about their own menstrual cycle. 25% of girls who will get their first period have never talked about menstruation with anyone before.
Why is education your priority?
Our mission is to empower women and girls through innovative products and social change on menstruation and women’s reproductive health and rights. We see education as the main priority to create social change.
Do a lot of women show up, and are they at all interested when you bring up this topic?
Yes! Because this topic is such a taboo, whenever we have educational activities, many women come to participate. We see women are now more open to talking about their period and the stigma around it. However, behavioral change needs time. Therefore, we need your support to spread awareness on this topic.
How did you come up with the idea for these women’s panties, the Perfect Fit?
Women have been faced with limited options when it comes to reproductive health, including menstruation. 95% of Indonesian women are still using single-use pads to manage their period. However, single-use pads are very uncomfortable, contain lots of chemicals, and generate tons of waste. We are trying to improve women’s health by bringing innovative products that are comfortable, safe, and environmentally friendly. Therefore, we came up with this solution. Our products are designed and made in Indonesia using certified OEKO Tex materials, free from harmful chemicals.
What is your approach, and how do you do it?
Our approach is through:
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Bringing the best, innovative, and sustainable products.
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Breaking taboos on menstruation & women’s health through education.
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Creating a community of women helping women through our Buy One Give One business model.
We are inspired by companies such as The Body Shop and Patagonia that dedicate themselves not only to making high-quality products but also to solving social issues about women and the environment. Perfect Fit exists to solve the issue of stigma on menstruation and to give equal access to sustainable period products.
How do you go about it?
With our Buy One Give One model = With each purchase of our product, we will donate one reusable pad to women in need who do not have the resources to have sustainable period products and education.
What is the mission of Perfect Fit?
A world where women and girls can reach their full potential free from inequality and discrimination due to their gender and sexuality.
Our mission is to empower women to have better menstruation & reproductive health through innovative products and social change on menstruation and women’s rights.
What have you previously done in this regard?
We have been working on the menstruation issue since late 2017. From 2017-to 2020, our focus was mainly in the NTT Province, by partnering with low-income communities to produce reusable pads. We have produced 50,000 pads and reached 12,500 girls and women there.
In Sept 2020, we registered ourselves as a start-up to focus on expanding this vision and mission to all women and girls in Indonesia.
It’s a Perfect Fit
When you know that menstruation is the most normal and natural thing that happens in a female reproductive system, you start to understand that we should not be ashamed to talk about it.
The openness to start talking about it at home, school, and social institutions will help reduce the stigma and help people eventually to embrace menstruation for what it is: “A natural and necessary process in the female body that allows new life to grow.”
Follow Perfect Fit on Instagram @perfectfit_id
Read more about this amazing project on www.perfectfit.start.page
