Women representatives will now distribute sanitary pads to girls in public schools under State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action.
Kenya Women Parliamentary Association Chairlady Leah Sankaire said the Sanitary Towels program will now be under State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action.
The towels will be distributed by Women representatives’ office.
“I approached the president with 47 women representatives for the transfer of the program from the Ministry of Education to the gender department.
We are now waiting for the procurement of the sanitary towels, to be distributed in two or three months from now,” she said.
The Kajiado County Women representative noted that the aim of the program is to provide all school girls with sanitary towels so as to minimize absenteeism.
In the 2022/23 budget, the government allocated sh 940 million for the provision of sanitary pads.
Speaking in Ngong where she distributed carwash machines and salon equipment to women and youth from Oloolua and Ngong Wards in Kajiado North for empowerment the lawmaker said girls will now not miss school due to the lack of essential products.
During the event, Ngong Ward representative Mbiriri Mwaura also distributed bursaries to students from the ward.
Hunger caused by prolonged drought has affected communities, especially the pastoralists, which has seen many girls lacking menstrual products.
Despite the provision of Free Basic Education by the national government many girls continue to miss out on school due to reproductive health issues as they are forced to stay away from school when they are not facilitated to manage their menstruation.
Studies indicate that girls from poor families miss 20% of school days in a year due to lack of sanitary towels.
Data from the Ministry of Education indicates that a girl that is absent from school for four days in 28 days (month), loses 13 learning days, equivalent to two weeks of learning in every school term.
In an academic year (nine months) a girl loses 39 learning days equivalent to six weeks of learning time.
A girl in primary school between grades 6 and 8 (three years) loses 18 learning weeks out of 108 weeks.
Within four years of high school, a girl can lose 156 learning days equivalent to almost 24 weeks out of 144 weeks of learning.
By Obegi Malack
obegimalack@gmail.com
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