Period
poverty is a situation whereby an individual cannot afford sanitary products
such as pads and tampons during mensuration. In Nigeria, young girls faced with
economic hardship miss school because they could not access mensural care, safe
sanitation, and hygiene facilities. When access to sanitation facilities is
limited, women are at a much greater risk of contracting illnesses and
infections than men ((Trauger & Fluri, 2019). This issue causes the exclusion
of girls and women from several opportunities including education. From my
experience, I have witnessed instances where girls had to improvise with toilet
rolls, old pieces of clothes, and napkins in place of the sanitary pad during
their period. Despite that, we have seen girls who could not actively
participate in school when they use either toilet rolls or napkins because of
the fear of staining their uniforms. These alternatives might seem effective
for a while but they are not safe and hygienic because it can increase the
vulnerability of these women and girls to several forms of infection.
According
to a study conducted by UNICEF, one out of 10 girls in Africa miss school because
of their periods. This study reveals that most Nigerian high school girls
encounter several challenges because of their inability to manage their
menstruation. Hence, they are forced to either missing class or drop out of
school. For instance, a pack of a sanitary pad in Nigeria costs about a dollar
yet most people cannot afford it because they earn below a dollar daily. This
shows the economic condition that prevents most women and girls across the
country from accessing sanitary products. Period poverty has not been
effectively explored in Nigeria neither has the government supported programs
related to it because it is perceived as a topic not appropriate for public
discussion. International agencies like UNICEF, individuals, and NGOs have intervened
in several ways to reach out to women and girls most especially in the rural
areas to render solutions.
UNICEF
established the Menstrual Health Management (MHM) program to educate women and young
girls on how to use menstrual materials and make provisions for disposing of
the menstrual material. Also, some NGOs provide mensural hygiene education and
distribute reusable pads for women and girls that cannot afford to buy every
month. Individuals that have had the first-hand experience with high school
students that could not afford sanitary pads have voluntarily distributed
disposable sanitary products in schools every month to keep the girl child in
school. There is a little these organizations and agencies can do because the
bulk of the work still lies on the government to take on the obligation of making
sanitary pads accessible. If free condoms can be easily accessible in public
places then free pads can also be accessible. Period poverty must receive more
attention to provide initiatives and participation from the government and secure
the health of women and girls in the country. The videos attached show the
intervention of the Sanitary Aid Initiative in Nigeria and UNICEF in providing reusable
pads and educating women/girls about mensural hygiene.
Reference:
Trauger, A., & Fluri, J. L. (2019). Engendering development: capitalism and inequality in the global economy. Routledge.
Ese, Oremi, for this exciting reading. It's unfortunate that young girls have to miss or skip school because they cannot afford a sanitary pad. Some girls are also subjected to abuse during this period due to cultural attitudes. Menstrual pads are hardly supplied in most schools in Sub Saharan Africa. As a result, a considerable number of girls go through stress during their menses. In my secondary school, we had a Peer health education club where pads with puberty education were available to members. Schoolgirls could collect every month based on a request. However, not all schools have such programs in my country at the time. As Peer health educators, we embarked on sensitization programs in villages to create awareness of sexual reproductive health and rights. I remember how shy most girls were during discussions. This was because the topic of menstruation was not freely discussed. Some parents were not too open to such a discussion with their daughters. Some NGOs, such as GAMCOTRAP, have recently started distributing free sanitary pads to different schools throughout the country. I believe it has a significant impact on girls, especially those in rural areas.
ReplyDeleteOnyinade, you talk about a very sensitive and yet crucial issue affecting the lives of many young girls in Africa. Your piece reminds me of a similar situation which happened in a community within the Northern part of Ghana. This part of the country is poverty stricken. This is to say that they have limited access to basic necessities such as food, portable water and other important social amenities. Currently, in the news, majority of the girls had become school dropouts because of menstrual issues. They had no access to sanitary pads or even Tampons, and this had forced them to stop schooling. The report from the news indicated that some of the girls had to quit school because of public ridicule when their period arrives unexpectedly during school. These girls are silenced and embarrassed most often by the situation, preventing from living the life that is expected. Just as you have rightly indicated distribution of sanitary pads should be a concern just as condom has been. Menstrual equity should be a priority. Menstrual policies should be involved in gender and development policy strategies. There should be initiatives across to distribute menstrual products to girls especially those in deprived communities and to make these products free in schools and other spaces. This will enable them to navigate life in same way a non-menstruating individual would. While no child should have to choose between access to their health and their education, it has become the norm as girls are being challenged to make such decisions on regular basis and this needs to be brought to end.
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