Liita Iyaloo Cairney is a Namibian woman who moved to Scotland in her twenties to complete a PhD in Global Health Policy.
Today we listened to a very interesting presentation from Liita about her new product designed for women’s menstrual hygiene and the website she has created to provide information about the menstrual cycle.
KOREE is a reusable menstrual device designed for women all over the world. It aims to be affordable and comfortable.
Liita also mentioned the lack of education on menstruation for young girls and because of this she has set up a free website for girls and boys where it is possible to learn more about the menstrual cycle and for young girls to be educated about what is actually happening in their bodies. It is also true that girls and women should celebrate their menstrual cycle and the importance of appreciating what your body can do.
After Liita returned to her home country of Namibia, and spoke to the President about jobs, he told her there was so much she could do outside of the government to help her country and the poverty and issues the people faced in the smaller communities.
She spoke to a school teacher who told her of the shame and discomfort the young school girls faced when on their period and how some wouldn’t attend school during this time of the month.
Liita spoke about how for young girls, getting their period can be shameful, stressful and associated with fear. For some, it can prevent them from engaging in social activities and play, making them eager to suppress menstruation. Liita wants to change this by teaching girls about the 28 day menstrual cycle and the hormones that relate along the way.
I think the KOREE product is a great invention which will be successful especially in developing countries for women who are unable to afford menstrual hygiene products.
The website is also a fantastic idea as many people are uneducated about the menstrual cycle and shouldn’t be as it is a natural process in the human body which affects every young girl and all women. Also many young girls may be unaware of what is happening in their bodies and so this should help them understand their bodies, their hormones and overall their menstrual cycle.
