The Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs and the Ministry of Education will work jointly to distribute free sanitary pads to schoolgirls.
In a statement, Gender CS Sicily Kariuki (pictured) said head teachers will bear direct responsibility for ensuring the beneficiaries get the pads in line with the laid-down rules. The pads will be bought centrally by the ministry and distributed directly to schools, with the assistance of the Education ministry and the county governments.
“It’s important to note that in implementing the project, the ministry will leverage existing institutional and governance frameworks in a collaborative approach,” the statement read.
The government has taken a policy shift in the purchase of sanitary pads. The Education ministry was previously in charge. Kariuki said a strong framework has been put in place to ensure accountability. It goes beyond the school management to include school boards, the parent-teachers’ associations and the beneficiaries.
The school implementation committee, which includes the head teacher, one female teacher and school nurse or matron, will distribute, maintain records of beneficiaries and make reports to the subcounty implementation committees.
The national steering committee includes the Gender Affairs PS as the chairperson, the Youth Affairs PS, the Basic Education PS, the Interior PS and the Social Protection PS. It will give policy direction on the programme and review implementation reports from the national secretariat.