Wintersemester 2023/2024
In Nepal, menstruation is considered as impure and there are various restrictions, such as women not being allowed in the kitchen during menstruation, not being allowed to pray, and not being allowed to touch men, plants, and food.
A German Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Berlin called NIDISI gGmbH is currently implementing the Woman Empowerment Project (WEP) in Nepal to combat the stigma associated with menstruation and provide access to compostable menstrual pads made from banana fibre.
In July 2023, the first factory for the pad production, the Banana Fibre Factory, was built in the midst of banana farms in Tribeni-Susta, Nawalparasi-West District, in the southern part of Nepal, where banana fibre is extracted from banana agricultural waste and formed into banana paper as a preliminary to menstrual pads.
At the time of its establishment, this factory faced three challenges for which the use of biochar was considered a viable solution: (i) organic and agricultural waste from the factory and the surrounding farmer, (ii) contamination of the groundwater used by the factory, and (iii) the establishment of a wastewater treatment system for responsible discharge.
Therefore, this sub-project was implemented with NIDISI gGmbH and local factory workers as part of the Woman Empowerment Project to establish a waste management system (composting), groundwater and wastewater treatment system at the factory in a rural area of Nepal, and to evaluate the use of biochar for these processes.
The WEP initiative not only seeks to empower women but also addresses environmental issues caused by plastic pollution and agricultural waste, presenting a comprehensive and sustainable solution to a multifaceted challenge.
Further Information:
NIDSI
