For Dr Vivian Mokome, founder of DGN (Dignity) Organic Sanitary Pads, menstrual health encompasses more than just pads. It also serves as an opportunity to address concerns about dignity, safety, accessibility, and choice within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
From South Africa to the wider SADC region, Mokome is determined to build a movement around a subject that is often discussed quietly, despite affecting millions of women and girls every month.
As Women’s Month unfolds across the region, attention is increasing on the products women use during menstruation and what they’re made from.
Transparency
Research and public discussions around potentially concerning substances, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals, have raised questions about transparency and product safety.
For consumers, the conversation has created a demand for clearer information and greater accountability from manufacturers.
Mokome believes women should not simply be consumers at the end of that conversation.
They should be part of the conversation from the beginning.
That means encouraging women to ask questions about the products they use, while pushing the industry towards greater transparency and more responsible approaches to menstrual care.
Expansion across SADC
Therefore, Mokome wants to make DGN relevant to the region by taking the conversation beyond South Africa.
The brand has developed a presence in the SADC region and the United Kingdom, supported by a network of around 10,000 ambassadors.
The initiative has also created employment opportunities, linking menstrual health with economic participation and entrepreneurship.
It is a model that speaks to a broader reality across Southern Africa: menstrual health cannot be separated from economic empowerment.
For women and girls facing financial hardship, the cost and availability of menstrual products can affect everything from school attendance to work and participation in everyday life.
For Mokome, women should not have to view personal wellbeing and financial responsibility as competing priorities.
Women’s empowerment
Perhaps the strongest message emerging from Mokome’s work is that menstrual health is not a niche issue.
It sits at the intersection of healthcare, education, poverty, environmental sustainability, manufacturing and women’s rights.
And because women are the primary users of menstrual products, Mokome argues that they should have a stronger voice in conversations around product standards, regulation, research and access.
This Women’s Month, her message is therefore less about celebrating women for one month and more about addressing the issues that shape their lives throughout the year.
The future of menstrual care is not just about producing another sanitary pad.
It is about creating choices that are safer, more dignified, more sustainable — and ensuring women have a voice in defining what that future looks like.
As that conversation travels beyond South Africa and into the wider SADC region, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: menstrual health deserves a much bigger seat at the table.
