Menstrual Hygiene Day 2021, a global consortium of NGOs, schools and partner organisations, is calling for ‘more action and investment in menstrual health and hygiene now!’.
Let us tell you why this is important...
We know from our work that period stigma and period poverty keeps girls from going to school. In many parts of the world, sanitary products are expensive and difficult to access for those who menstruate. This leads to what is known as period poverty.
Women and girls are forced to resort to using and reusing bits of cloth and rags (pieces). Cultural misunderstandings around menstruation, such as that menstruating women and girls are ‘dirty’ or ‘impure’, mean they are not given the necessary support to be able to healthily manage their period. They may lack access to safe facilities to clean themselves and the reusable rags in privacy, putting them at risk of developing illness and infections.
“When we were using the pieces, it won’t even take us 2–3 hours, then we start having offensive smell or odour. It’s not like that anymore; now we feel clean and fresh.”
– Group member, Tonkolili district.
In Sierra Leone, menstruation and the topic of periods is taboo.
This has led to the dangerous spread of misinformation; as well placing girls at increased risk of early marriage, or being reprimanded by parents who believe menstruation is a sign of sexual activity.
“The old people always believed that if a woman uses pad during menstruation, she is throwing away her baby. Now we don’t have scenarios like that anymore because we now have great knowledge about menstruation.”
– Group member, Freetown.
Human rights agencies and international development organisations have been campaigning for years about how the lack of menstrual health support negatively impacts the human rights of women, girls and those who menstruate. Girls and women are held back from going to school, work and are treated poorly by family and community members.
Covid can’t stop us
The response to the global Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives like never before. But we cannot wait for the pandemic to be over to better support women and girls on their period and demand more action and investment for menstrual health and hygiene. It has been far too long already!
Through our Girl Tok and Scholarships program, One Girl supports girls in Tonkolili and Freetown with menstrual hygiene management education and sanitary pads. One Girl believes that access to menstrual hygiene education and resources is an undeniable human right for those who menstruate.
To date, 339,990 sanitary pads have been distributed to girls and women through One Girl programs, including our Scholarship program! We are working to support girls, women and their communities to safely and hygienically approach menstruation with a view to improving school attendance and tackling harmful period taboos.
Support our work and join the global call for more investment and action for menstrual hygiene and health now!
So jump on in, and donate today!
References
MH Day: https://menstrualhygieneday.org/
MHM and Human Rights: https://menstrualhygieneday.org/menstrual-hygiene-human-rights-issue/
