Menstrual facilities lacking in schools

According to UNICEF, 90 percent of government’s primary schools nationwide, lack proper menstrual hygiene facilities.

This statistic was revealed in May this year and 5 months later, positive steps have been taken by the Education Department to address this issue.

The Department of Education has more than 2.1 million students in the national education system and a bulk of this comprises teenaged female students.

Providing schools with sufficient water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, education and improvements remain a major challenge for national, provincial and district school authorities.

A Water and Sanitation Hygiene study revealed that 55 percent of schools lack access to clean and safe water, 94 percent do not meet national standards of toilets while 98 percent do not promote menstrual hygiene management.

Education department estimates that more than a hundred schooling days are lost every year due to water, sanitation and hygiene related issues and diseases.

Given these issues, the recently launched Water and Sanitation Hygiene Policy and Standards will now prompt schools and education department to build proper menstrual and hygiene facilities for all female students and teachers to access.

The WaSH 2018 to 2023 Policy and Standards calls for teachers to be at the forefront of raising awareness and education in menstrual hygiene.

Author: 
Cedric Patjole