In the Global South, an estimated 500 million girls experience what is called “period poverty” — a lack of access to menstrual products and sanitation facilities that result in them missing school and facing social stigma during their periods.
But now, a made-in-Canada product might provide a solution.
Called the Bfree Cup, the product is the brainchild and passion project of Leisa Hirtz, CEO of Women’s Global Health Innovations, a Canadian social enterprise business based in Brampton, Ont.
“Access to safe menstrual care is a human right,” said Hirtz. “I was so moved by this issue. I wanted to find a solution.”
While there are other menstrual cups on the market, these products contain a biofilm that can harbour bacteria and lead to infections, requiring sterilization every month. They can also leak and have short shelf lives.
The “Bfree” — for biofilm, or bacteria free — cup is the world’s first and only anti-bacterial menstrual cup. It is a long-lasting and affordable device that does not require monthly sterilization and offers protection equivalent to hundreds of sanitary towels.
“It doesn’t need to be sterilized, just wiped clean after use,” said Hirtz, noting it removes barriers of affordability, stigma and sanitation. “It’s a game-changer that can help girls stay in school.”
It is also safer than the alternatives. Many girls in the Global South who cannot afford monthly menstrual products have to resort to using rags, old socks or mattress stuffing during their periods. “That’s not healthy; they can get infections,” Hirtz said.
Additionally, the Bfree Cup lasts over ten years and can prevent up to 2,500 tampons from ending up in landfills. “It’s sustainable and environmentally friendly,” she said.
‘Pinch myself’
Hirtz began work on the product in 2013 in collaboration with the University of Toronto and with funding from Grand Challenges Canada, a program of the Canadian government.
In 2020-21, she received a $250,000 grant from the Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT), a program of the Inter-Council Network of Provincial and Regional Councils (ICN), to test use of the device with girls in Uganda.
Over a period of 15 months, Hirtz and her team used the funding, which was administered by the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC), to teach girls about how to use the Bfree Cup and to set up small, women-led businesses to sell it.
Girls who started using the Bfree Cup told Hirtz it had changed their lives — they could go to school and carry on with their normal activities when they had their periods.
“When I heard that, I had to pinch myself,” said Hirtz. “The product had that much of an impact. It was very emotional and inspired me to keep going.”
Her business plan for the Bfree Cup is to sell it in bulk to local women-led businesses, health and educational ministries, and international relief and development organizations that promote gender equality. The product is also available for sale in Canada.
For Janice Hamilton, executive director of MCIC, the Bfree Cup is an excellent example of Canadian innovation funded through the Government of Canada.
“This is what international assistance means on the ground, girls being able to go to school,” she said.
Since it started seven years ago, the $20.5-million FIT program has funded 64 projects sponsored by small- to medium-sized organizations that tested innovative ideas related to women’s health, education, human rights, agriculture and peacebuilding in the Global South.
The Bfree Cup was recognized during Canadian Innovation Week, which ran from May 26 to 30. During the week, innovators, thought leaders and entrepreneurs such as Hirtz were recognized for their innovations.
