BWEN’s Creative Force Project

Screen printing as one of the creative ways to start conversation.

In 2019, BWEN embarked on a transformative journey, a two-year Creative Force project, in collaboration with Swedish partner, Wise Economy Global Association, funded by the Swedish Institute. Our mission was to creatively fill the gaps in today’s flawed life system, targeting young people in Uganda with innovative strategies to dismantle the social barriers surrounding conversations about menstrual health and reproductive rights.

Local council leaders at Parish level, Kisenyi III parish in mobilization and campaign strategizing at the menstrual station

We joined forces with local artists, journalists, and civic leaders, forming partnerships with other local organizations in the region. Our approach was not just innovative but also engaging and fun. We danced, we sang, we recited poetry. We designed a board game, puzzles, and even organized the first-ever menstrual-themed fashion show as part of our creative conversation starter tools developed in the project.

The Creative Force project exceeded our expectations, involving more people in civil society than we had initially anticipated. BWEN created a network of local organizations working with young people and women in the communities around Kampala and beyond through monthly creative workshops. We bridged the gap between right-holders and duty-bearers, involving 24 local leaders at the Parish level in Kisenyi III. This included Local Council 1 and 2 chairpersons, councilors from five zones (villages with in the ghetto), and seven local leaders from five zones in Kamwokya ghetto. These leaders were fully involved in mobilizing and campaigning with us, promoting menstrual equity and endorsing the BWEN rights-based approach to solving period shame. Our creative community workshops extended as far as Zaipi sub-county in northern Uganda.

Msema culture’s collection at the Menstrual Shebang Fashion Show 2021

The ultimate goal of the project was to create a movement of #PeriodProud and #PeriodSupportive communities in Uganda. We aimed for the people involved and affected by the project to understand that period shame and period shaming affect girls and women’s equal enjoyment of their human rights. We achieved this by teaming up with local agents of change and opinion leaders within the cultural sector.

BWEN’s Creative Force project was a two-year journey of empowerment, creativity, and change. It was a testament to the power of collaboration, creativity, and the unwavering belief in the potential of young people to bring about significant societal change.