Most schoolgirls in rural Embu go without sanitary pads and panties because they fear asking for them.
It is viewed as a taboo to do so, a county executive has said.
Gender executive Joan Mwende said Embu will distribute free sanitary pads and underwear in a programme to be rolled out in public schools. The project will help girls acquire underwear without fear, she said.
Mwende said thousands of girls in rural areas have from low self-esteem because they lack the pads and panties.
The girls would rather miss classes than ask for the panties and pads from parents or guardians.
“Some parents feel shy about buying their children’s underwear. Consequently, the children also do not ask for them,” she said. Mwende added that the problem worsens during the girls’ menstruation.
She questioned why in this century, parents are still unafraid of talking to their children about menstruation or buying them the pads and panties.
The taboo has hurt girls’ education since it gets in the way of their attendance, Mwende added. Owing to the stigma surrounding the purchase of the pants and pads, those affected are not just schoolgirls.
“Even adults in Embu are shy about buying their underwear in public,” Mwende added.
The project to buy the panties has attracted criticism, she said, especially because it is set to cost Sh3 million set aside in the budget.
Part of the money will be spent on a mentorship workshop that will also include boys.
The children will receive mentorship as well as be trained on leadership.
They will be counselled on topics yet to be decided.
The executive said the county established there was severe need for the pads and panties.
The problem is only reported in the rural areas, as parents in the urban areas seem unfazed by the taboo.
Some residents have said the money should instead be spent on books. Mwende dismissed the calls, terming them selfish.
She said the Education department will deal with such issues, and that her department will focus on the pants and panties project. Mwende said provision of the items is not out of context as some have claimed. “Its absence will adversely affect education,” she said.
Mwende said she will not relent in her quest to improve the girls’ self-esteem and make society talk about pads and panties.
She said the children’s future lives depend on how comfortable and successful they are in school, and ignoring the fact that they need the items will cause them problems.
The executive added that boys are also in the same boat. “They too need the underwear,” Mwende said.
She added that many fathers in rural homes are against boys wearing underwear.