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MAVERICK COLLECTIVE
In order to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Maverick Collective believes that there is a great need to innovate, increase the resources to projects and harness the skills of motivated philanthropists. To support the work with the SDG's Maverick Collective launched in May 2016. It began with 14 founding members who together support 14 programs that innovate across six health areas to pilot new approaches to some of the most challenging issues facing women and girls globally. The pilots aim to learn fast and leverage evidence to scale successful programs. So far, Maverick Collective has leveraged USD 60 million, which includes the initial seed funding provided by members, governments and foundation contributions to support and scale projects. The work has reached over 300,000 women and girls across 13 countries so far. Maverick Collective is an initiative of Population Services International (PSI), a leading global health nonprofit organisation that makes it easier for people in the developing world to live healthy lives and plan the families they desire. To find out more about Maverick Collective visit their webpage: www.maverickcollective.org or visit www.psi.org to learn more about the implementing agency. |
IMPROVING MENSTRUAL HEALTH IN NEPAL
Giving Wings three year programme within Maverick Collective aims to improve sexual, reproductive and menstrual health young women and girls in Nepal. Menstrual hygiene is a critical but often overlooked component of girls’ sexual and reproductive health. Many teen girls in Nepal do not understand the changes taking place with their bodies during puberty. With a lack of education about their bodies, hygienic products, limited privacy and clean water, girls are left to manage their periods in uncomfortable and unhygienic ways. The situation is made more complicated by cultural attitudes that view menstruation as something negative and shameful, leading to the exclusion of women and girls from aspects of social and cultural life. PILOT AND LEARN This three year project aims to understand the barriers preventing teen girls from accessing products for and education on their reproductive health, including menstrual hygiene, and to create the first girl-centered solutions to effectively address these barriers in Nepal. LEVERAGE AND SCALE The insights and lessons learned from this project will help PSI and its partners design more effective programs to improve the health of teen girls in Nepal and will serve as a model for how menstrual hygiene can be incorporated into ongoing reproductive health programs for girls globally. Armed with a wealth of knowledge on the preferences of teen girls in Nepal and the social and cultural drivers of their behaviour, PSI and other organisations will be better equipped to integrate menstrual health services into existing programs. Large government and multilateral donors have shown considerable interest in supporting such approaches once proven, and such partnerships can help millions of girls stay healthy in the transition to adulthood. |
