LET GIRLS ENJOY SCHOOL EVEN DURING THEIR PERIODS- WOMEN’S MONTH OUTREACH.

As we celebrate the Women’s Month, we can’t forget the millions of Girls that are finding it very hard to access sanitary products and as a result dropping out of school. If such important issues are not addressed, it will be very difficult to realize the Sustainable development Goals by 2030. Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) is essential to the well-being and empowerment of women and adolescent girls.

To effectively manage their menstruation, girls and women require access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, affordable and appropriate menstrual hygiene materials, information on good practices, and a supportive environment where they can manage menstruation without embarrassment or stigma.

The absence of sanitary products, coupled with the shame and fear of exposing their menstruation, mean that many adolescent girls are forced to miss school during their period; consequently, in many rural resource-poor settings, adolescent girls who are already disadvantaged by social norms miss a quarter of their education opportunities. This needs to change urgently.

Menstruation is a normal and natural part of human life yet drastic changes are needed to encourage positive social norms and ultimately enact behavioural change. Adolescent girls need the support of their governments to provide adequate infrastructure, access to affordable sanitary products, and gender equity for them to manage their periods. We applaud the increasing efforts worldwide to empower, educate, and engage country leaders, communities, families, and adolescent girls and boys about menstruation, and to highlight the right of women and girls to hygienically manage their periods.

Partnering with Companies that produce menstrual products has enabled us to acquire sanitary pads that we later give out to underprivileged girls in rural Uganda. We appreciate SAFEPAD UGANDA for walking this journey with us during this month and by donating sanitary kits that we have blessed these students with. They will not be missing school during their periods and this is what we want for every Girl in Uganda and beyond.

Together we can End Menstrual stigma.