Wider sanitary roll-out cut

While around 600 teenage girls have so far benefited from government's free sanitary project since last year, as many as 150 000 school girls could be struggling to access safe sanitary products across Namibia each month. In efforts to address one of the many barriers to quality education faced by vulnerable and marginalised Namibian girls, the education ministry, through its partner the Forum of African Women Educationalists Namibia (Fawena), last year launched the Sanitary Pads Project.Fawena national chapter coordinator Marlene Mungunda told Namibian Sun last week that the figure of vulnerable and marginalised girls who are unable to access sanitary products on a regular basis could roughly total 150 000 or more, based on national statistics of vulnerable female teenagers across the country. Since the launch of the Sanitary Pads Project more than 600 girls attending grades 10 to 12 in several regions have benefitted, she said. Each girl is provided with a pack of ten pads each month. Mungunda said just over 2 000 beneficiaries have been identified through various scholarship programmes, who are to join the programme in the coming future. She however highlighted that since the launch of the programme last September, the scale of the problem has become obvious.“After the launch, so many schools and regions called us to ask for help. But unfortunately we have to work according to the budget and attend to the beneficiaries currently listed.”A total of N$250 000 has been budgeted for the programme to date, with several private sponsorships adding to the purse. Problem solving Mungunda, and others, have pointed out that in line with the distribution of free condoms in Namibia, a similar initiative should be launched with sanitary pads for those in need. “The cost of menstrual products is very high. Government succeeded in addressing the HIV/Aids challenge to provide condoms for free. It would also be very conducive and commendable to provide free sanitary products for girls, for whom menstruation is not a choice, but a biological fact.”While the issue of sanitary pads was brought to national attention again last year, Sister Namibia had long worked on addressing the issue.The Sisterpads project was launched in 2014 after the organisation was learned of the high level of school absenteeism in the Kavango Region, due to female learners lacking sanitary materials. Elsarien Katiti told Namibian Sun that in areas where resources and information is slim, many rely on “traditional or home-based alternatives, which may be unhygienic or even unhealthy.”Girls miss between three to four days of school each month if they cannot access proper sanitary products or “find harmful ways, including sugar daddies, to provide these products,” she said. Katiti said ensuring that all Namibian girls have access to safe sanitary products “goes beyond access to products and attending school. A lack of menstrual products also concerns dignity, health and lost or delayed potential.”Further, being able to access sanitary products gives young girls “a sense of dignity and self-determination through the mobility they get from having something sanitary to use.”In response to the issue, Sister Namibia has designed reusable sanitary pad kits which provide a permanent solution for a two-year duration.This helps girls put aside the worry of monthly menstruation and allows them to “focus on her education”, the organisation stated. Katiti added that while many in Namibia have begun to assist, and to create awareness, “from the legislative side of the equilibrium, a lot still has to be done to provide these free products for the girl child. There is still a lot to be done to amplify awareness.”She emphasised that while “all problems Namibia faces are not there for government to solve alone”, reducing or cutting taxes on menstrual products, or providing them for free, could go a long way to address the issue. Moreover, providing reusable sanitary products would not only be cost-effective, but environmentally sustainable. Fawena's Mungunda said the health ministry has begun to investigate alternative options and has been presented with various presentations on reusable products for distribution through the state sanitary programme. However she said testing on the products is necessary and without the green-light from safety authorities no alternative products can be distributed. In June 2017, Kenyan government enacted a law which guarantees sanitary wear for all girls attending public school. The act states that “free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels” must be provided to every girl registered at school, as well as providing “a safe and environmental sound mechanism for disposal”.JANA-MARI SMITH

Wider sanitary roll-out cut

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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Wider sanitary roll-out cut

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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