Periods should not defy a girl's dignity

 A Ugandan study found that nearly two-third of schoolgirls in rural areas miss school at least once a month owing to menstruation.

This statistic is simply shocking. Writing this blog as a woman, I know first-hand the difficulty of menstruation, especially for young girls. The privilege of accessing menstruation products, support and the simple opportunity to talk about it with other people is something that I may have taken for granted. For many girls, in particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa period poverty is an overwhelming issue for girls and women. Menstruation is natural process that all girls go through, yet it continues to burden the life of girls and women, impeding their development. This blog will explore the idea of period poverty- why it occurs and how this affects woman's lives.

Girls holding sanitary pads

Stigmatisation of periods 

Menstruation is masked in ignorance and shame in many parts of the world, and in parts of Africa. Despite being a healthy natural part of puberty and womanhood, menstruation is often a very hushed topic, full of embarrassment and stigma attached to it. Menstruation taboos reinforce gender-based discrimination and exclude women and girls from community activities, ceremonies, school, and workplaces, further perpetuating the extremely damaging idea of 'uncleanliness'. Menstruation can also be perceived as sign that a girl is ready for marriage increasing risk of adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, sexual exploitation and sex-related health issues, thus consigning women to an even more subordinate position to men and putting their health at risk. This stigma is detrimental to the wellbeing, mental and physical health of women. 

Period Poverty 

Effective menstruation hygiene is dependent on access to clean water, sanitation products of choice and having safe and clean spaces for using these. Education, wealth, and infrastructural limitations of sanitation and water are key contributors of these inequalities. Period poverty is therefore the lack of affordable and accessible sanitary products, resulting in girls and women remaining at home, away from school or work. Absenteeism is largely due to lack of safe, comprehensive facilities in schools, lack of awareness, embarrassment, inability to afford products and menstrual pain.  

ZanaAfrica

ZanaAfrica was founded in 2007 by Megan Mukuria, who whilst working with Kenyan children found that 65% of girls could not access sanitary pads. The foundation provides girls in Kenya with comprehensive health education based on menstruation and sexual health, delivers pads and sanitary products as well as aiding in policy and advocacy. Educating girls on their own bodies, uses of products and their disposal can make a world of difference. The foundation stresses that without appropriate support

“adolescence can mean the end of a girl’s potentional”. 

This statement, I believe, is a representation of how important and imperative it is to include menstruation in discussions of development. Development for women is about empowerment and provision of choice. Menstruation is not a choice, but equitable provisions to deal with it are necessary for their empowerment. Respect, dignity and awareness are crucial to tackle this intersectional issue.  

Video providing insight into how ZanaAfrica can support girls with periods, 2015

So how does this affect development? 

To aid development of women, we must move on beyond the stigma of menstruation. Shame and stigmatisation hinder mobility and participation in society. We must open dialogues of periods to men and boys to educate them rather than allow them to be ignorant and overshadowed by negative cultural beliefs. Men make up a huge proportion of government and decision making in Africa, therefore educating men on menstruation is just as important as it is for women and girls. Furthermore, absenteeism plays a huge role in limiting the participation of girls in education, therefore reducing their social progress and further constraining them to the domestic life.