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The organization Niñas Sabias AC (The Wise Girls Workshop) has received support from the Australian Embassy via its Direct Aid Program (DAP) to implement their project, Wise Wixaritari Girls: Menstrual Education and Rights of Wixárika Indigenous Girls. The project launched on March 28, and will conclude on November 30, 2025.
Hana Figueroa, Director of Niñas Sabias AC, thanked the Australian consulate, saying “This project will help girls reclaim menstrual knowledge within their own worldview and culture, and create new spaces to recognize and uphold menstrual rights.”
According to UNICEF, 43% of Mexican girls miss school during their periods, because they lack adequate resources. In Indigenous communities, the percentage is much higher. Among the Wixárika (Huichol) people of Mexico, menstruation is seen as both a sign of fertility, and connection to sacred forces and the Earth Goddess.
But, at the same time, this indigenous group believes that menstruating Wixárika women emit heat that can spoil sacred plants or rituals. There are also economic challenges that limit access to menstrual hygiene products. All of this means that menstruating girls and women are often excluded from religious and everyday activities, including attending school.
Niñas Sabias is organizing 12 intercultural workshops to teach Wixárika girls about their menstrual cycle, self-care, and their rights in a culturally-relevant environment. The group’s goal is to demystify menstruation, and promote gender equity.
The project is distributing locally-made, environmentally-friendly menstrual kits; these kits are good for the environment, and the local economy. About 240 Wixárika girls ages 11-15 will be able to learn about their menstrual cycles and rights, and receive eco-friendly menstrual kits. They hope that the work from this project will help reduce school absenteeism, and improve hygiene and health. Families will no longer rely on expensive disposable products, and the kits are produced locally, creating employment opportunities for indigenous women.
Niñas Sabias AC was founded in 2017 in Chapala as a grassroots initiative promoting menstrual equity through the distribution of eco-friendly menstrual kits. In 2024, it was formalized as a nonprofit civil association. The organization’s program, “El Taller de Niñas Sabias” (The Wise Girls Workshop) has helped over 4,500 girls in Mexico and beyond, focusing on access to education, health, and well-being.
The Direct Aid Program (DAP) of the Australian Embassy provides financial support to partners and development projects in vulnerable communities to promote gender equity, access to education, health, and well-being around the world.
For more information on the project or to collaborate, email: info@ninassabias.com.
WhatsApp at +52 331423 3220 or go to the website: www.niñassabias.com
