Sunday 28th May was World Menstrual Hygiene Day, raises awareness of the challenges women and girls worldwide face due to their menstruation and highlights solutions that address these challenges.
On Monday 29 May 2017, with support from UNICEF, a workshop session was organized to educate girls 10-14 years on the need to observe menstrual hygiene, which will help them to know about menstruation before it happens.
Periods are something which every girl and woman experiences during their lives and learning about periods and knowing what to expect will help stop worry and confusion. These changes are normal and there should be no shame about what is going on, as it is part of growing into womanhood.
In some parts of the world, some girls feel that having a period is secretive and unclean and need to stay at home, which is responsible for girl child absenteeism in schools. In some countries, menstruation becomes an economic issue because of the costs of sanitary towels. There are two types of protection a girl can use during her period: disposable pad and re-usable pad. Re-usable pad is a wide piece of cloth folded several times to form a comfortable pad. This must be washed regularly and should not be shared with anyone else.
UNICEF wants every girl to know that periods are normal, and that girls can continue with everyday activities, especially schooling. Understanding how to manage period will give every girl the confidence to overcome shame. Puberty is the name given to changes that happen in boys and girls as they grow up. Most boys and girls will start to notice these changes to their bodies between the ages 10-14-years old. During discussions, some of the young girls said that their mothers instill fear in them about getting pregnant, even if a man touches them without having sex. A 13-year old revealed, “When I am on my period my mother refuses to buy me sanitary towels. Instead she always makes me feel uncomfortable and unwanted.” Some of the mothers who were part of the menstrual hygiene education were taught to be more patient and counsel their daughters.
Menstruation does not hurt, as some girls might experience some discomfort in the lower abdomen, just before or during their period.
It is advisable that when a girl experiences her first period, she talks to an adult, a mother, a sister or grandmother for advise and suppoBrt.
By Ade Campbell
Tuesday May 30, 2017.
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