Jack Kalsrap works in the area of feminine hygiene, at the Mama Laef office in Pango producing washable eco-friendly and chemical free sanitary pads.
“As a man I am confident working in this field. When my two daughters were young I helped them to understand about reproductive and sanitary health so that they could have a good future. I saw how important this was, how there are many young teenage pregnancies due to limited education and information.”
In his role Jack cuts the materials and assists the female staff where possible, including lifting heavy items.
As well as distributing the sanitary pads to schools and communities throughout Vanuatu Mama Laef also facilitates reproductive health information sessions to women and girls.
While translating these programs into bislama Jack saw the importance of passing on male and female reproductive knowledge to men and boys and has developed both an oral and visual presentation that he hopes to deliver next year, starting in North Efate to men and boys in their communities.
“I want to talk about these topics so that men and boys can respect women and girls. As males we need to respect all females because we are equal. I believe that we all need to respect the rights of each other, live in a clean and safe environment and have a healthy family and life.”
While some men might be hesitant to work in an area that is culturally deemed as ‘tabu’ and feminine Jack is not afraid to step out of the box and break down the misconceptions surrounding women’s health and advocating for gender equality.
This article was originally published in the Vanuatu Daily Post
