Menstrual products will now be free in Scotland.
This is an example our country should follow.
Over 70 per cent of girls face shortages of these products and when available they are quite expensive hence those from poor backgrounds cannot afford them.
The Scottish parliament approved this bill in 2020 and it became implemented making Scotland the first country to offer period products free of charge on a national scale.
Although some countries distribute the products for free in public schools, this is still not enough and more needs to be done.
The private school girls also don't get this privilege to access the free pads during their periods.
To end period stigma, our Members of Parliament should up their game and make menstrual products free.
Yes, we can end the HIV pandemic but also we need to end the discrimination against girls during their periods.
Promoting menstrual health and hygiene is and will always be an important means of safeguarding women’s dignity.
Creating awareness will contribute to building and having an enabling environment that promotes equality where women are heard and given opportunities to become leaders.
Providing easy access to menstrual products will help improve access by women and girls to education, jobs, promotions and entrepreneurship. e.
Girls who miss school due to periods are at times unable to catch up with their peers.
Women will most likely not report to work for the lack of a female-friendly sanitation facility in their places of work and fear of discrimination and shame.
At times they are viewed as unreliable.
This might lead to discomfort and also psychological and emotional stress.
This order will lead to shame and sometimes depression for women and girls who experience this because of the menstruation-related taboos and stigma of our culture and societies.
The disposable nature of these pads is mostly not environmentally friendly and that should and must be changed.
With the innovation of washable sanitary pads, they can be reused and conserve the environment. They are also very cost-effective.
However, they are still some parts of Kenya that face water shortages and in such areas, reusable sanitary towels might not be effective.
The county governments must work extra hard to have water projects and also dig boreholes to supply the communities with enough water.
The ball is now on our women representatives to make sure they push projects that will see the implementation of free menstrual products in the country to the poorest parts of the country.
Student at Rongo University
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
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