Invisible Women

Invisible Women is a social project aimed at raising awareness about the importance of hygiene during the menstrual period of homeless women in the city of Campinas-São Paulo-Brazil. In the absence of adequate hygiene conditions, especially during menstruation, they use old rags and leftover food to stop menstruation. In view of this scenario, it is intended to provide sanitary pads free of charge to underprivileged and homeless women via a health or social assistance agency. After a period of observation in the central area of ​the city, it was noticed the lack of access of women to the appropriate means of hygiene, and harms their health, since they have no viable options for staying clean. At the same time, an internet search directed to the assistance segments of the municipality, such as the Archdiocese of Campinas, established contact with those responsible for the Consultório na Rua, which gives attention to the health of street women. Observation scripts and questions to be applied in the interviews with the Consultório na Rua team and the homeless people were elaborated. Such interviews were conducted with a team of professionals and with a homeless person, and recorded on audio, after the interviewees signed free consent terms. The audios of the interviews were transcribed and used in the elaboration and development of actions. Partially, it was possible to recognize that homeless women are subject to physical, emotional and psychological vulnerability, using harmful means of survival, with poor hygiene being one of them.