KAMPALA, Uganda — Every month, millions of women and girls across Africa experience menstruation—a natural part of life that should never limit their opportunities. Yet for many, it remains a source of anxiety, stigma and financial hardship.
For countless schoolgirls, the lack of access to affordable menstrual hygiene products means missing classes, falling behind academically and losing confidence. For working women, inadequate menstrual support can affect comfort, productivity and full participation in daily life.
Behind every missed lesson and every uncomfortable day lies a persistent challenge: period poverty—a silent crisis that continues to deny many girls and women the dignity they deserve.
Determined to change that narrative, the Union Transport Alliance (UTA) has launched Union Sanitary Pads, an initiative driven by a simple but powerful belief:
Menstruation should never stand between a woman and her future.
The Girl Child at the Heart of the Mission
Across Uganda and the African continent, millions of girls wake up each day with dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs and leaders.
Yet every month, many of those dreams are interrupted—not because of a lack of ambition, but because they cannot afford basic menstrual hygiene products.
The challenge extends far beyond the availability of sanitary pads. It is about protecting dignity, restoring confidence and ensuring that girls remain in school with the same opportunities as their peers.
Through Union Sanitary Pads, UTA aims to make quality menstrual hygiene products more affordable and accessible while promoting menstrual health awareness in schools and communities.
According to Union Transport Alliance Chief Executive Officer Fred Ssenoga, the initiative was inspired by the conviction that no girl’s education should be interrupted because of her menstrual cycle.
“Education should never stop because of menstruation. Every girl deserves to remain in school with dignity, confidence and good health,” Ssenoga said.
Women Leading the Change
At the centre of the growing Union Sanitary Pads movement are women who understand firsthand the realities girls and women face every month.
For them, the campaign is about much more than selling a product—it is about restoring confidence and breaking the silence surrounding menstruation.
Union Transport Alliance Ambassador Alice Natukunda says the initiative was designed with the everyday needs of women and girls in mind.
Beyond affordability, she explains, girls need products that offer comfort, reliability and peace of mind.
“The most important thing is giving girls and women confidence. A sanitary product should be easy to use, comfortable and allow someone to move through their day without fear,” Natukunda said.
She believes the campaign is helping to reshape conversations around menstrual health while tackling period poverty.
“Together we can reduce period poverty and ensure every girl remains in school,” she added.
Bringing Menstrual Dignity to Schools
School outreach has become one of the cornerstone strategies of the Union Sanitary Pads campaign.
Through awareness programmes, learners receive menstrual health education while gaining access to affordable sanitary products, empowering them to manage their periods with confidence.
Hope Tukundane, one of the leaders supporting the initiative, says engaging directly with schools has highlighted the importance of combining menstrual health education with product accessibility.
“The growth of Union Sanitary Pads is built around listening to girls and understanding what they need. When we visit schools, we see that many learners appreciate having a product that is affordable, accessible and easy to use,” Tukundane said.
She notes that the long-term vision is to ensure that menstruation never becomes a barrier to education.
Partnerships Expanding the Impact
The campaign’s success has also been strengthened through partnerships with organisations that share the vision of improving menstrual health.
Margret Nasuwa, Brand Marketing Manager at Ruka Pay, says collaboration is essential in addressing the challenges faced by women and girls across the country.
“This partnership is about giving hope to girls and women by supporting access to quality menstrual hygiene products. No girl should miss school because she cannot afford a sanitary pad,” Nasuwa said.
She adds that access to quality menstrual products directly contributes to better educational outcomes, workplace participation and overall wellbeing.
“A girl needs to feel safe, comfortable and confident during her menstrual period. When she has access to a quality sanitary product, she can attend school, participate in class and continue with her normal activities,” she said.
More Than a Product—A Movement for Dignity
For Fred Ssenoga, the success of Union Sanitary Pads will not simply be measured by sales figures or the number of products distributed.
Its true impact will be reflected in the lives it transforms.
It will be measured by the girl who stays in school because she no longer fears her monthly period.
By the woman who goes to work with confidence and peace of mind.
And by communities that embrace menstrual health as a fundamental aspect of human dignity and wellbeing.
Union Sanitary Pads represents a growing African solution to an African challenge—one that seeks to ensure that no woman or girl is left behind because of menstruation.
Because behind every sanitary pad is far more than a product.
There is a girl protecting her education.
There is a woman preserving her dignity.
There is a future filled with opportunity.
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