“It's so uplifting, I'm inspired every time”

Zillah Douglas is an advocate for women and a successful business owner in Honiara. She works with communities in Fiji and the Solomon Islands to facilitate conversations about menstrual health. Her inclusive, uniquely Pacific approach creates a safe space for women and girls to speak openly about something that is often taboo. Kaleko SteiFree offers women a reusable, sustainable alternative to store bought sanitary pads and Zillah says just talking about the fabric pads has helped shift cultural barriers.

In 2016 Zillah had recently finished her studies in Brisbane and she was at home on Matangi Island in Northern Fiji. A team of Doctors, nurses and healthcare workers were volunteering in the region with the Loloma Foundation.

“I expressed interest in volunteering with them even though I don't have a medical background,” Zillah recalls. "I wanted to be a part of the work that they were doing in these communities.”

One of the nurses on the outreach taught Zillah how to make menstrual cycle bracelets. She watched how nurses then taught women in remote communities to make these simple, multi-coloured bracelets from beads. The different color beads help women understand and keep track of their menstrual cycle.

"I wanted to be a part of the work that they were doing in these communities.”

Zillah got involved with the Loloma Foundation team by having informal discussions with women and teenage girls. When the outreach ended, they invited her to join a medical outreach mission in the Solomon Islands the following year.

Inspired by her first experiences in rural community health in Fiji, Zillah had a lightbulb moment when she returned to see her mother’s family in Guadalcanal a few months later. She learned about a local women’s business enterprise Kaleko SteiFree who were making reusable sanitary pads with recycled fabric from her home in Honiara. Zillah felt that the pads and the bracelets together would really deepen the discussions about menstrual health with girls on remote islands. Zillah says the geography of Solomon Island with over 1000 islands makes it difficult for women to access sanitary products.

“Many women in rural communities throughout the Solomon Islands have limited access to sanitary products,” she says. “It's costly and often far to travel to buy basic sanitary products. For many there is no choice but to use cloth or local natural materials. I have visited schools that don’t have adequate toilet facilities or clean water - both of which would pose challenges for young girls in managing their menstruation.”

And in cities like Honiara where sanitary products are available but rubbish collection can be unreliable and canine control is often inadequate, disposable pads create problems for women and the entire ecosystem. “The rubbish usually ends up in rivers and then in the sea,” Zillah says. “In rural areas they bury or burn the rubbish or throw it into the sea. If you have pads, diapers or plastic products all going into the ocean, that's not good.”

“In rural areas they bury or burn the rubbish or throw it into the sea. If you have pads, diapers or plastic products all going into the ocean, that's not good.”

Zillah joined the medical team on outreach in the Solomon Islands and over the past four years she has built long term relationships with local doctors, nurses, health workers and community leaders across Central, Guadalcanal, Western Province in the Solomon Islands and Northern Fiji. She also collaborates with youth empowerment initiative like Days for Girls, that provide resubale pads for mentstrual care.

“What I've discovered is that women are curious and they want to be a part of the conversation,” Zillah says.” There are many questions when we talk about the pads. It’s about sharing but it's about listening as well. I'm paying attention and sharing in a safe space.”

On medical outreach missions Zillah volunteers with health professionals, and they invite women to participate in small group discussions with just women and girls. They ask community leaders where’s the best place to have the talk and sometimes it’s under a tree or even on the beach.

Zillah says the small groups help women feel more comfortable. “We talk about menstruation and then we demonstrate how to use the reusable pads and then we open it up for questions and we have a discussion, “ Zillah says. “It's all things women's health, even menopause, pregnancy and contraception.”

“It's all things women's health, even menopause, pregnancy and contraception.”

She says the composition of the group helps create the right atmosphere to share. “The women usually like to be away from the men so we keep it strictly women,” Zillah says.

She says menstrual hygiene discussions in the Pacific are more informal and adapted to the situation. “We're all sitting around, usually in a circle on the ground.” she says. “It's not a lecture style, it's more just a conversation.”

Zillah has seen firsthand how simple conversation about reusable pads can lead to more serious subjects such as cervical cancer, Pap smears, breast examinations and pregnancy. She refers to doctors and nurses to ensure women get the right information about health services that are available.

“Consistency is the key and it has to be a local approach from the ground up."

Zillah says it’s critical that local Pacific islanders lead these discussions, so they can build trust over the course of multiple years and multiple visits. “Consistency is the key and it has to be a local approach from the ground up,” she says.

Beyond the lasting connections Zillah has made with communities throughout the Pacific, she says the most rewarding part of the work is seeing how these discussions enrich the bonds between women and girls. “The beauty about having these conversations is that in itself also builds and strengthens those relationships within that group. They can then talk with each other and openly share with each other.”

Zillah says informal conversations with young women is a crucial part of women’s health awareness and shifting cultural perceptions on taboo subjects.

“Opening up and sharing can take place in these circles and that is a beautiful thing.”

“Opening up and sharing can take place in these circles and that is a beautiful thing,” Zillah says. “To see each other, hear each other and acknowledge each other, one must feel safe in order to open up and share.”

Zillah says these conversations are just the first step in a much broader discussion about the issues that women care about. “It's just incredible what comes through,” she says. “It's incredible the questions, the comments, the laughter. It's so uplifting, I'm inspired every time.”