Our Work
We strive to improve gender equality through the provision of water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) services and menstrual education programmes. Working in partnership with nature is the backbone to our practice.
Download Our 2022 Annual Report
Find out more about our work in The Cycle's most recent annual report
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Our Approach
+Facilitate
We build eco-toilets and clean water facilities, and provide sustainable period products to people who really need them.
+Educate
We create community wide behavioural change through our education programmes. We deliver motivation and hygiene training to everyone we provide WASH infrastructure to. We teach gender-inclusive menstrual, sexual and reproductive health programmes in communities where people with periods face taboos.
+Advocate
We conduct key research to aid in the fight for gender equality. We are currently leading India’s first endometriosis survey among vulnerable communities.
Water
For over 25 years our team have been pioneers in bringing sustainable sanitation to vulnerable communities. We know that improved water, sanitation and hygiene are fundamental to all development. By partnering with local leaders within our communities, we make sure our solutions are bespoke to their needs. By pairing quality construction and motivational hygiene training we promote long-term behaviour change that spans generations.
Women
Educating communities about menstruation is a core solution to solving gender inequality. Our menstrual health programmes empower people with periods by promoting excellent menstrual, sexual and reproductive health literacy, eradicating taboos and keeping children with periods in school. As part of our programmes we provide sustainable period products to everyone who needs them.
When we teach, we teach everyone; girls, boys, men and women to ensure a full community mindset shift and create a safe environment where all genders can thrive.
World
A thriving world is our goal. It is also our area of innovation. We approach every project as a partnership with nature. We make sure we consider the impact of what we create. Our eco-toilets stop waste entering the environment, are built to last lifetimes, save millions of litres of water every year and create soil regenerating compost.
In partnership with Cornell University and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, we are currently leading a pioneering research programme into biochar and new forms of soil healing practises for smallholding farmers.
Numbers & Location
We have taught over 30,000 people our menstrual education programme. Almost 300,000 people have access to the eco-toilets we've built. Historically, we have worked throughout Africa and India. We currently focus our work in multiple states across India.
Our Change Makers
Karpagam, Puducherry
Since the day we met Karpagam, she has always greeted us with the same bright smile even when times were so hard...
Ranjitha, Cuddalore
When we first visited Ranjitha's school it didn't have one functioning toilet. All the children were struggling, especially the girls, as they had to leave school...
Santhosh, Murungampakkampet
We love Santhosh! We appointed him as one of our chief volunteers in promoting handwashing to children nearby his house....