‘Create right environment for girls during menstruation’
A call has been made for schools to be equipped with soaps, sanitary pads and medication for pain during menstruation.
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The call, which was contained in a statement issued by J Initiative (JI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), stated that all school staff should also be trained to be allies of young girls during their adolescence.
“It is the right of every person to have access to clean and private sanitation facilities and the right of girls to be informed and have access to menstruation supplies. These rights are fundamental to leading a life of dignity,” the statement stressed.
It further stated that girls were missing school because of menstruation and the reasons included the fact that schools did not have appropriate privacy, sanitary facilities or disposal options for girls during menstruation.
“Many girls,” it said, “believe menstruation is embarrassing or dirty and feel ashamed during that time of the month and prefer to avoid the stress of being at school with inadequate facilities and an unfriendly environment.”
Male teachers and students, it pointed out, did not understand a young girl’s situation so they sometimes refused to give female students permission to use the latrines when the girls need to.
Similarly, uninformed, young boys also do not appreciate their female classmates’ situation and tease them,” the statement pointed out.
The J Initiative stated that it was estimated that one in 10 girls in Africa, according to UNICEF, either misses days at school during menstruation or drops out of school entirely because she does not have access to appropriate facilities to manage menstruation.
That, it said, had become a major obstacle for achieving the UN Millenium Development Goal of access to and completion of primary and senior high school education for all children.
What can be done
In order to address the problem of girls missing school due to menstruation, the statement called for the building of private and adequate hygiene facilities for girls in every public space.
It further called for public awareness events and school lessons that target misconceptions, malpractices and negative associations regarding menstruation.
Junior Graphic and J Initiative campaign
In order to promote education on menstruation among girls, the Junior Graphic and JI have begun a seven-day campaign to collect sanitary pads for distribution to adolescent girls in deprived areas of the country as part of activities to mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day which falls on May 28.
The initiative is also to educate young girls on menstruation to ensure they have an active lifestyle and enjoy a stress-free life when they are in their periods.
The seven-day collection campaign is part of the ‘Happy School Girl’ project which seeks to make the school environment comfortable and enjoyable for girls in school.