Education specialist and WLI alumna Florence Siba (pictured back, centre) is using knowledge and connections developed through the Women’s Developmental Leadership Program to mobilise a network of Papua New Guinean (PNG) volunteers to promote menstrual health for girls and women globally.
After identifying a lack of access to period care as a major barrier to education for girls, Florence co-founded MeriDay – a reusable sanitary product development and menstrual health education initiative which relies on support from volunteers and funders.
Co-founded with Donna Kei and fellow Australia Awards alumnus Kaman Wasaup, and inspired by conversations with Florence’s WLI mentor, MeriDay now represents the PNG “team” of non-profit organisation, Days for Girls (DfG) International.
By forging a network of Australia-based volunteers from PNG who can support DfG’s mission through MeriDay, Florence aims to grow a community of advocates who will continue to promote menstrual health and stay engaged with volunteerism when they return home.
Throughout her career, Florence has been working to level barriers to girls' and young women’s education, which she believes is a critical factor in driving gender equality and development in PNG and the Pacific region.
As a participant of the Women’s Developmental Leadership Program (then called the Leadership and MentoringProgram) in 2018-19, Florence and her WLI mentor Bridget Bandle (then the Assistant Principal of St Clare’s College in Griffith, ACT) identified limited menstrual health access as a significant challenge preventing girls and young women from attending school and completing formal education.
Florence saw this as a huge issue, not only in PNG where access to period care is limited by low levels of menstrual health knowledge and high costs and low availability of sanitary items, but also in Australia where she was undertaking her Master of Education Studies at The University of Canberra.
This discussion inspired Florence to come up with innovative, collaborative, and sustainable ways to address the issue – both while in Australia and upon her return home to PNG.
After completing her master’s degree, Florence returned to PNG where she continued to lead and influence in her career and community, using WLI leadership tools, lessons, and networks to promote collective action to address development challenges.
During the COVID-19 pandemic when limited access to sanitary products kept menstruating PNG girls home from school, Florence and WLI Leadership Fund project team members Anna Apop and Lavinia ToVue established a sustainable PNG supply of reusable sanitary products.
At the same time, Florence was increasing community understandings of menstruation with Kaman Wasup and Donna Kei.
Florence has since returned to Australia, where she now works as the Special Program Administrator (SPA) for the Warrambui Retreat and Conference Centre (WRCC).
In her role, Florence oversees cohorts of young women from PNG who are college and university students and graduates coming to Warrambui for year-long internships.
Through her research, Florence came acrossand reached out to the Australian chapter of DfG, a non-profit organisation mobilising volunteers to increase access to menstrual products and health information for women and girls around the world.
In collaboration with co-Directors Donna Kei and Kaman Wasaup, Florence went on to establish MeriDay – the PNG arm of DfG supported and guided by the non-profit’s Canberra team, the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Australia, the WLI Leadership Fund, and other funders.
Through MeriDay, Florence facilitates collaboration between Warrambui’s PNG interns and the Canberra-based team of DfG sewers who now work together to manufacture reusable sanitary pads.
Through this partnership, PNG interns engage with and understand the issue of menstrual hygiene and are encouraged to continue supporting MeriDay upon their return to PNG.
Thanks to Florence, the PNG interns and DfG’s Canberra sewing team now come together on the third Saturday of every month to build skills, boost menstrual health supplies, and learn from each other.
According to Florence, the interns receive training in sewing, acquire hygiene knowledge, and develop organisational and social skills which also support their professional development.
Interns help to create and assemble the menstrual hygiene kits, which are then sent to PNG to support girls and young women who need access to them.
Florence recently gave a presentation to the DfG sewers about MeriDay PNG’s work, showing how and where the kits are distributed, and some of the logistical and cultural challenges the organisation faces.
This presentation was an “eye-opener” for the sewers who gained a better understanding of the experiences of menstruating women in the Pacific region.
According to Florence, the interns have also shared their own perspectives as young PNG women with the DfG volunteers.
Florence hopes that by engaging the PNG interns in DfG’s work, they will be inspired to continue promoting menstrual health, “give back” to their country, and help to ensure the continuity of MeriDay upon their return to PNG.
“I believe in the power of people-to-people linkages and allowing people to connect in safe and comfortable spaces toachieve a ripple effect of mutual benefits,” Florence explains.
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Follow MeriDay on Facebook or visit the MeriDay website to learn more.
