Successful CBA Practice: With She – Reusable Cloth Pad Initiative in Coastal Khulna
In coastal Khulna, Bangladesh, communities face severe climate challenges including salinity intrusion, flooding, and water scarcity. These environmental stressors disproportionately affect women and girls, particularly around menstrual hygiene management. As President of With She, I have observed how climate-related water scarcity makes disposable sanitary products both unaffordable and environmentally harmful for coastal communities.
To address this, With She implemented a community-based reusable cloth pad production initiative in partnership with Islamic Relief Bangladesh. Local women were trained to produce eco-friendly reusable cloth pads using traditional sewing skills a practice deeply rooted in Bengali cultural tradition of handmade textile crafts. Thirty women participated in the training, gaining both health knowledge and income-generating skills.
Local women were meaningfully engaged in every stage from identifying needs to designing training content and leading peer education sessions. This participatory approach ensured the initiative reflected community realities and values.
The initiative reduced dependence on disposable products, promoted menstrual hygiene awareness, and empowered women economically. Traditional sewing knowledge passed down through generations was successfully integrated into a modern climate-resilient livelihood strategy.
However, barriers remain. Policy neglect around menstrual hygiene, limited funding, and generational shift away from traditional crafts challenge sustainability. Under the LLA framework, integrating such traditional practices with formal policy support and long-term funding could significantly scale this community-led adaptation model.