Women and Girls Engagement / Focus Group Discussion
Seven Girlified team members coordinated five separate focus groups during the hour-long engagement in Rankyeng Village, Jos South LGA.
Eighty-two residents of Rankyeng Village share honest feedback on period poverty, pad preferences, and plastic pollutionâshaping the future of Girlified's plant-based product.
17 September 2022
Rankyeng Village, Jos South LGA
12 min read
82
Participants
5
Focus groups
7
Facilitators
18
Product testers
Listening to 82 Voices in Rankyeng
As a step further towards getting more feedback on our product and using the opportunity to engage more women and girls, we discussed with a total of 82 women and girls between the ages of 12 and 48, who are all residents of Rankyeng Village of Jos South LGA, Plateau State Nigeria. Rankyeng is a developing community where most families are either into farming or small-scale trading. Hence most of our participants were from low-income households.
Present to facilitate the discussion were 7 members of our team, two guys and 5 ladies who interviewed five separate focused groups while the guys coordinated the session. It was an hour's engagement where our co-founder, Oghenekevwe Emadago introduced the Girlified product and talked about our plastic reduction goal and our plan to continue to be in close contact with themâour potential customers.
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âPlastic pollution is a serious issue that requires quick climate action and you all ladies seated here can join hands to make our fight against it a successful one.â
Oghenekevwe Emadago
Co-founder, Girlified
Among the numerous things he spoke about, he emphasized climate action. We engaged them on several topics that border around sanitary pad use, their preferences and discomfort. Below are the reports from the five interviewers:
REPORT 01
Doris Gyang
Field interviewer
Nyipoji Kani interviewed 11 women on pad discomfort, affordability, and plastic pollution awareness.
I had the opportunity to engage 11 women, 9 of which were teenagers and the other 2 were adults. We discussed the discomfort they have while using sanitary pads and I was able to deduce that the pad material isn't thick enough to hold a large amount of blood. They experience a peppering feeling whenever they use certain pads and they suffer from tiny rashes. Some mentioned that they do not use pads, instead, they use wrappers which they wash and reuse, causing most of them to suffer infections which alter their period cycle.
They all attested to the fact that the price of pads was rising which brought about the use of wrappers for some. And those who could afford the cheaper type used it though it may be discomforting for them. They mentioned that they would love to have pads that are cheaper and more in number (in a pack). They all answered âNoâ to the two questions I posed: âDo you know that plastic pollution is a problem today and that a conventional pad contains as much as 90% plastic?â And I educated them on what plastic pollution is and some facts and figures surrounding it.
One lady mentioned Joyland to be her preferred sanitary pad because of the price. Another mentioned Always, but she had no specific reason. If they could change something about the pad what would it be, I ask them. They said the price should be cheaper, the quality in terms of thickness should be improved, the quantity in terms of pad pieces in a pack should be increased, the color should be changed to either black or brown, and the size of the pad should also be big enough to accommodate the outpour.
We randomly discussed how they dispose of sanitary pads and I was able to know that some tie in polythene bags and throw them away into the bush, bury it underground or even burn them. An exceptional reply was that of a teenager who believed that her blood can be used to harm her so she washed the sanitary pad before disposing of it.
Nyipoji Kani interviewed 11 women on pad discomfort, affordability, and plastic pollution awareness.
REPORT 02
Biola Adediran
Field interviewer
Mercy Kevin spoke with 15 teenagersâ90% preferred Always for its longer length.
Mercy Kevin spoke with 15 teenagersâ90% preferred Always for its longer length.
I had the opportunity to engage 15 women, all of which were teenagers. Talking about the discomfort they experience while using sanitary pads I was able to note several recurring responses which include: itches, uncomfortable feeling as a result of using some sanitary pads that are methylated, and some of the ladies complained of rashes that might occur after period due to the choice of sanitary napkin used.
We went on to talk about their preferred prices for pads for which they complained about the high prices of sanitary napkins and how difficult it is for some of them to afford them. They suggested the price below: NGN300 ($0.69) for a pack of 8 pieces or even NGN250 ($0.58) for a pack of 8 pieces and NGN500 ($1.16) for a pack of 12 pieces.
Talking about their preferred sanitary pad brand, 90% of the ladies I spoke to prefer Always sanitary pad because it has a longer length compared to other brands. On things they would like to change about sanitary pads the majority of them mentioned thickness (some sanitary pads are very light and cannot be used during a heavy menstrual flow), length and most also stated that pads should be more absorbent.
REPORT 03
Esther Danladi
Field interviewer
Kyenret Daluwa engaged 25 women and girls on brand preferences and product improvements.
I had my discussion with 16 women and 9 girls and here are my findings. About the discomforts experienced using sanitary pads, one of the ladies complained about Drylove being too short, and some complained about Virony because it does not stick well to the panties. From their responses, I gather that NDK and Drylove do not take some of them throughout the day.
Talking about the price, most of them attested to the fact that price is a major hindrance to them and that they would like the price of a pack of 8 pads to range from NGN 250â300. For their awareness of plastic pollution, we spoke at length and I discovered most know little about global plastic pollution and how much sanitary pads contribute to this.
On the issue of their sanitary pad preferences, some prefer children's diapers because it sticks better and lasts longer, others mentioned their love for Trust sanitary pad because of their feelings and NDK because it does not leak. When we got to the issue of what they would like to change in sanitary pads, I noted these points: pads should be thicker and softer; manufacturers should include panty liners; increase the number of pieces per pack; make it cheaper; increase the quality and rate of absorption; increase the length and width; and finally, the stickiness should be increased.
Kyenret Daluwa engaged 25 women and girls on brand preferences and product improvements.
REPORT 04
Faith Ameh
Field interviewer
My discussion was with 17 girls. Discomforts experienced using sanitary pads: one of the ladies complained about a burning sensation after about two hours of using her sanitary pads (Always). About two of them complained about shifting of the pads, which causes staining.
Price issues: two of the older ladies complained about the prices of pads, stating that during some months, they couldn't afford pads and would have to use rags and tissues as substitutes. The younger ones (early to mid-teens) stated that they use Joyland pads (3 pieces in a pack) at NGN150 ($0.34), and they believe that the price is okay.
Awareness about plastic pollution: they understood how plastic affects the immediate environment by littering the place, but until the briefing, most were ignorant about its effects on the ocean. Sanitary pad preferences: a lady preferred Always because of its length; another likes Virony for being shorter and more comfortable; young girls prefer Joyland because of the price.
What to change in sanitary pads: one lady would like to increase the absorbance of pads because she usually has to double her pads during her periods. Others spoke about length and prices. The ladies disposed of their pads by burning, burying, throwing in the public dump âbolaâ, or putting them in holes in fence blocks. Younger ones feel uncomfortable buying pads when males are around; their periods last 2â7 days, and they use a single sanitary pad for 2â7 hours.
REPORT 05
Sarah Dariye
Field interviewer
I was assigned to 14 females after the brief introduction. Quite a number complained about rashes between their thighs leading to itching; specific odors within 30 minutes to an hour; peeling of the top layer and scattering of cotton; pain and injury between the thighs; shifting of the pad; insufficient thickness and length; rough top layers; pains in the vagina; and thighs turning red.
Yes, the price of pads is a big problem. We would like that the quantity of pads in a packet is worth the price. The price should be much more affordableâit is a pain when we go to buy and after a short period the prices go up and we are left with the choice of using rags.
A few knew about plastic pollution and others didn't. One lady explained what plastic pollution was in Hausa. Preferred brands included Always (sticks to panty, smooth top layer), NDK (good fragrance, comfy), Trust (holds heavy bleed), and Joyland. If they could change one thing: remove mint/peppery additives; improve stickiness; prevent cotton from scattering inside.
We had other discussions on proper disposal, biodegradable products, and embarrassing public-period experiences. At the end, we held a final 20-minute feedback session with 18 ladies who had tested our pads for two weeksâlearning how different users react and where improvements are needed.
From the whole session, we have discovered that period poverty is indeed a problem for the comfort and menstrual hygiene of a lot of ladies in our region. We can draw up this conclusion since the Rankyeng community, among other communities in our region, is not unique in its below-average income level. For this reason, we are developing Girlified to be able to meet the needs of these ladies while giving them the unique sense of saving our oceans from plastics.
More Comfort. Less Expense. Less Pollution.
Pioneering eco-friendly menstrual health tech in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Locations
No 17 Sabon Lugbe, Airport Road, Abuja, Nigeria.
No 3 Longwa Phase 1 Opposite Solomon Lar Amusement Park, Jos, Nigeria
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