Sarah Kuponiyi is a public health and development practitioner with interdisciplinary experience in research, policy advocacy, and project management in areas such as public health, gender equality, health system strengthening, and health financing. Sarah has worked with INGOs and indigenous NGOs in Nigeria, implementing projects funded by major international donors such as USAID and Global Affairs Canada on HIV/AIDs epidemic control, gender-based violence reduction, and youth development. She is also the founder of A Well-Informed Adolescent Initiative, a platform committed to ensuring equal access to sexual reproductive health services for young people.
Sarah's lived experience of period poverty motivated her to start a campaign to improve menstrual health and hygiene for girls and women, this led her to start a sustainable solution to address period poverty. She founded Alora Reusable Pads, a social enterprise that creates eco-friendly menstrual hygiene products. Her diligent efforts to alleviate period poverty in Nigeria have significantly impacted the lives of many girls and women. Her work on menstrual health hygiene and period poverty has intricate links between climate, sexual reproductive health, and gender equality.
Sarah's work and dedication to gender equality have earned her recognition, such as being appointed a youth technical advocate for UN Women Nigeria and UN Women. She was a 2023 nominee for International Women's Day 2023 award under its Grassroot and Civic Category by UN Women Nigeria. She is also a recipient of the Chevening Scholarship and will be presenting her paper on "Collaboration and Innovation for Menstrual Health: An Exploration of the Potential of Pad Banks as a Sustainable Solution in Tackling Period Poverty in Nigeria" at the 2023 Chevening conference.
