Ethiopian company produces reusable pads to combat period poverty

Hanan Ahmed founded Han's Care in 2021 to produce reusable cotton sanitary pads in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The company addresses a shortage of affordable menstrual products in a country where many people live in poverty and menstruation is often treated as a source of shame. Ahmed started the business after experiencing period-shaming herself and observing that many girls still face similar social barriers today. The company operates a workshop where workers produce up to 1,000 washable pads every day.

These pads can be reused for up to two years. Because Ethiopia imports all its disposable sanitary pads, many women and girls cannot afford them. A 2017 study by Johns Hopkins University found that only 28 percent of Ethiopian women had everything they needed for their periods. Without affordable products, some girls miss school while others use dangerous alternatives like pieces of mattress or dirty socks, which can lead to infections.

Han's Care sells its products to sponsors like banks, which then distribute the pads for free across the country. The company also works to normalize conversations about menstruation to reduce social exclusion. While Ahmed sees progress in the capital, she notes that girls in some rural tribes and religious groups still face exclusion from their households when they begin their periods. She hopes for more support from Ethiopian authorities to change community attitudes over the next decade.