In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, UNFPA Bhutan country office partnered with the Royal Government of Bhutan in communicating basic preventive measures on COVID-19 and maintaining menstrual hygiene amidst the pandemic.

The country office handed over locally produced sanitary napkins to the Office of Prime Minister as part of Dignity Kit.  Each sanitary napkin packet includes information on COVID-19 prevention and menstrual hygiene. The Office of the Prime Minister will distribute these sanitary napkins to the women and girls including frontline female health workers in the quarantine and isolation facilities.  Currently there are 121 quarantine facilities and is expected to increase with more Bhutanese coming back home.  

Further, the sanitary napkin is produced by Chechay sanitary PADs – initiated by a young women entrepreneur employing 10 other young women.

 “This COVID-19 Pandemic is challenging all business and UNFPA’s move to procure Chechay Sanitary Pads comes as huge relief to me and my staffs who risk being unemployed.  I acknowledge this as a support in empowering young entrepreneurs such as ME.” Pema Chezom, the Founder of Chechay Sanitary Pads.

“with the disruption of schools, health services, and community centers, we need new ways of providing SRHR information and support during the pandemic response.”

Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director