At CDF Canada, international cooperation is rooted in the belief that lasting change happens when solutions are locally led, community owned, and economically sustainable. Our work through the VOICE for Women and Girls program in Malawi reflects this approach; supporting women-led co-operatives that are advancing menstrual health, economic inclusion, and gender equality through practical, community-driven enterprise.
Across Lilongwe, Dedza, and Mchinji, women’s co-operatives are producing reusable sanitary pads for sale within their communities. This initiative addresses a critical and often overlooked barrier to women’s and girls’ participation in daily life: access to affordable, reliable menstrual products. By producing pads locally, co-operatives are not only improving menstrual health outcomes, but also creating steady income opportunities for women, strengthening household resilience, and reducing stigma surrounding menstruation.
The impact extends well beyond health outcomes. Increased access to menstrual products supports improved school attendance for girls and greater economic participation for women. At the same time, embedding social impact within a viable cooperative enterprise strengthens the long-term sustainability of these women-led organizations. This integrated approach demonstrates how cooperative models can respond to interconnected social, economic, and health challenges in ways that are durable and community driven.
Canadian volunteers play an important supporting role in this work. Through needs assessments, training design, and monitoring support, volunteers contribute technical expertise while learning directly from women leaders navigating complex local realities. Engagement in the sanitary pad initiative provides hands-on experience in gender-responsive programming, cooperative entrepreneurship, and socially driven enterprise development.
These experiences generate meaningful value for Canadians as well. Volunteers return with strengthened professional skills, deeper cross-cultural understanding, and practical insights into cooperative innovation that inform their work within Canadian co-operatives, credit unions, and community organizations. The sanitary pad initiative, in particular, offers a compelling example of how economic sustainability and social impact can be intentionally aligned, an approach that is increasingly relevant within the Canadian cooperative sector.
By centring international partnerships on locally owned solutions like this initiative, CDF Canada ensures that cooperation is truly reciprocal. Women’s leadership and economic resilience are strengthened in Malawi, while Canadian volunteers and institutions gain knowledge, perspective, and inspiration that strengthens the cooperative movement at home.
