Raising awareness on menstrual hygiene

Schools in the nation’s capital commemorated Menstrual Hygiene Day on Monday to raise awareness and highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management.

The commemoration was done at Boreboa Primary School.

Menstrual hygiene is one of those issues that is rarely talked about openly both in schools and homes mainly due to culture and taboos.

From research conducted by the Department of Health, about 46 percent of female students stay away from school during their menstruation.

This is because young girls are vulnerable to some level of discrimination and teasing by their male colleagues.

“Because menstrual hygiene is one issue that is not fully understood and almost 99 percent of the schools do not have menstrual hygiene management facilities,” said UNICEF’s Diplomacy Communications Officer, Frederick Musoke.

The commemoration was part of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) Policy currently implemented in 6 primary schools in the city in collaboration with the Education Department and UNICEF.

With the theme ‘No More Limits, Empowering Women and Girls through Good Hygiene’, teachers are now at the forefront of raising awareness in menstrual hygiene.

“Menstrual hygiene is one of the many topics that is taught in the Personal Development subject, but not given much prominence,” said Mrs Pauline Salien, Grade Three teacher at Boreboa Primary School.

“With the commemoration and the WaSH policy, it is our duty now as teachers to break the barriers and speak openly about it to both male and female students.”

“Menstrual hygiene is part of the reproductive system and a cycle that all females are born to experience. As boys we should respect and give them the privacy to share with female teachers, especially if it’s their first time and encourage them to attend classes,” said head boy of Ted Diro Primary School, Joel Lavari.

Grade 7 student from Wardstrip Primary School, Elly Nauna, encouraged her peers to attend classes and never let the challenges of menstrual hygiene stop them from learning.

Author: 
Carolyn Ure