Menstrual stigma has become so prevalent in Kenya that girls and women have become subjects to period shaming.
Normally, menstruation is a healthy and natural part of the female reproduction cycle.
Sadly, many girls during their developmental stages still experience period stigma.
Ending the global stigma which surrounds female menstruation and making sanitary products widely available is all-important to increase women's health, education, employment, empowerment and livelihood.
According to UN experts, the stigma and shame generated by stereotypes around menstruation have severe impacts on all aspects of women and girls' human rights.
On any given day, more than 800 million girls between 15-49 years are menstruating yet the stigma persists.
According to research done by Menstrual Health Day, a global advocacy platform for non-profit organisations and agencies to promote menstrual health, 65 per cent of Kenyan girls and women are unable to afford basic sanitary pads.
The situation is so dire that in a 2015 study of 3,000 women, Dr Penelope Phillips-Howard found one in 10-15-year-old girls were having sex for sanitary towels.
A 2020 study done by the population council in informal settlements in Nairobi, found that the pandemic affected the ability of women and girls to buy sanitary products.
One-third of the women in the study said that they were unable to buy the products.
Research conducted by the Ministry of Education showed that girls in Kenya usually miss about four days of school each month on an average of 20 per cent of the school terms because they are on their periods.
Despite recent robust campaigns by women in challenging menstruation taboos and increasing attention to the issue of menstruation stigmatisation, the country still experiences a myriad of period shaming cases.
Due to this stigmatisation and at times lack of sexual education—both from the community and school, menstruation knowledge remains limited leaving many girls with negative and unsure feelings and experiencing psycho-social stress.
So menstrual stigmatisation has a significant impact on the social and family life, education, work and general well-being of women and girls.
In April 2016, the government launched a programme to help distribute over 140 million free sanitary pads to 4.2 million girls across the country.
Unfortunately, it collapsed out as supplies ran out.
Three years ago, the head of state assented to the Basic Education Amendment Act that would have seen girls who have reached puberty across the country be provided with free, quality sanitary towels in sufficient quantities, all funded by the state.
But so far little has happened on the ground.
In rural areas, only 32 per cent of schools have a private place for girls to change and dispose of their sanitary products and those that have, are poorly maintained and unsuitable for menstrual health hygiene.
Many teachers are also uncomfortable talking about menstruation.
To improve on that matter, gender-separated facilities with door locks, lighting, disposal bins and washing stations with soap and water need to be constructed.
The government should invest more funds in monitoring and surveillance to ensure that sanitary towels reach those who need them the most.
There is also a need to further exploration of barriers that lead to period shaming and address it urgently.
Students, Rongo University
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
