The Ministry of Education in partnership with the Ministry of Health should be compelled to set up sanitary towels dispensing machines in schools.
This move would help dignify menstruation just the way male condoms are freely provided in health facilities, bars, nightclubs, lodgings and other public places.
The exercise should as well be given prominence just like the feeding program to ensure girls are comfortable while in school and have sufficient contact with the teachers for better learning.
Having a sanitary pad dispenser located in the ladies’ washrooms will help schoolgirls have immediate access to napkins at any time of the day to meet menstrual emergencies, especially for those who experience irregular monthly periods.
With these machines, they will be saved from the embarrassment of seeking pads from peers and authority since most of them cannot face their teachers and tell them to provide the pads when they suddenly experience menstruation while in school.
Menstrual-related challenges have been clearly evident in our society and many young girls are suffering in silence because they lack sanitary towels which are a necessity for them.
Matters have been made worse by the fact that the number of women teachers in most learning institutions is low, with the majority being men.
Some girls are forced to skip classes whenever they are in their menses resulting in their poor performance in their studies compared with boys.
High poverty levels in most families have also made it impossible for parents to provide sanitary pads to their daughters since they cannot afford sanitary towels on a regular basis.
Hundreds of female students have also dropped out of school after being ashamed when they soil their clothes and have nowhere to clean up or access pads.
The high number of teenage pregnancies has also been attributed to a lack of sanitary towels, as most of the victims are exploited by men who lure them into sex in exchange for money to buy the pads which also puts them at risk of catching Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).
This is a clear indication that menstrual hygiene is a matter that needs immediate attention to ensure the retention of girls in schools and the achievement of the 100 per cent transition policy.
The national and county governments should therefore see the dire need for a budget line for the establishment of sanitary towel dispensing machines in learning institutions.
In this case, the girl child who has been taken as an inferior human being in the community will be greatly empowered and help de-stigmatize the ‘taboo’ of menstrual period for young girls and encourage them that it is a stage in life and should be celebrated and not frowned about.
With sanitary dispensing machines being prioritized in schools, girls will have an adequate supply of sanitary towels enabling them to be in a position to remain in school even during their periods.
As a result of these interventions, the narrative of the menstrual cycle will change from that of shame to acceptance and dignity.
Sanitary towel dispensing machines are self-service machines which dispense towels upon the deposit of a coin, as low as Ksh10 to avoid misuse of these sanitary pads
The machine takes care of emergencies in places of work, all institutions of learning, public places, and factories, among other places.
By Thuita Jaswant
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us through: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper For timely updates.
