Menstrual health is a multi-sectoral issue that is closely linked to the rights to healthcare, education, water, sanitation and hygiene; and a healthy and clean environment.
Despite this fact adolescent girls, women, transgender men and other menstruators globally continue to face challenges including stigma, harassment and lack of essential menstrual hygiene products and facilities that they need to experience menstruation with dignity and comfortability.
Women and girls in their diversity face heightened vulnerability due to menstrual-related challenges with adolescents and the marginalised groups being at greater risk.
Menstrual disorders are common, people who experience symptoms of menstrual-related disorders such as intense pains, and excessive bleeding among others often lack medication to diagnose and treat these disorders which limits their performance in school and jobs.
Some women have to engage in sex for sanitary towels while others may be discriminated against at the workplace.
Kenya has a Menstrual Hygiene Management Policy (2019-2030) that aims at ensuring progress towards universal access to improved sanitation and hygiene and a clean and healthy environment.
This aims to support the realisation of the 2010 Constitution which provides for the right to healthcare and freedom from any form of dissemination and the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Kenya is also a signatory to other international instruments relating to menstrual health.
The instruments are the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.
East Africa Community states including Kenya should pass the East Africa Sexual Reproductive Health Bill to facilitate accountability of the existing national and international laws that promote reproductive justice including the right to dignified menstrual health.
One of the biggest gaps in the promotion of menstrual hygiene and management is inadequate information to break the taboos and strengthen response stakeholders including teachers and parents should be trained on ways to administer menstrual hygiene information.
Other efforts to promote health information include investing in technology, and social and electronic media tailored around the informational needs of specific groups.
The Ministry of Health should also recommit to the ESA commitment to not only support menstrual hygiene and management but informed choices and ensure every person lives a healthy reproductive life.
Menstrual health is a public health, humanitarian and human rights issue; state and non-state actors should tackle menstrual health challenges with urgency.
Resources to facilitate a dignified process for those who menstruate should be put in place to ensure that no woman that menstruates misses school and other opportunities because of menstrual-related challenges.
Menstrual products and menstrual waste disposal management systems should be made free and accessible to all women and girls in their diversity.
Additionally, more research to address the healthcare, environmental, and perceptional and informal needs should be conducted to facilitate evidence-based programmes to address menstrual challenges in the
Youth Project Coordinator at Reproductive Health Network Kenya
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
