SANITARY AWARENESS PROGRAMME

SCHOOL'S SANITARY AWARENESS

The Operation Phakama went on a school tour to hand out sanitary pads to eight (08) schools in modimolle. The aim was to raise awareness that 1 out of 10 girls can not afford to buy sanitary pads resulting to not coming to school.

the organization had agreed with the schools to find girls that are disadvantaged to receive them and be able to attend school.  Most of these school were primary schools as to the youngers to go on their menstrual cycle are aged 10-14 while still in primary. The challenges that menstruating girls, women, and other menstruators face encompass more than a basic lack of supplies or infrastructure.  While menstruation is a normal and healthy part of life for most women and girls, in many societies, the experience of menstruators continues to be constrained by cultural taboos and discriminatory social norms. The resulting lack of information about menstruation leads to unhygienic and unhealthy menstrual practices and creates misconceptions and negative attitudes, which motivate, among others, shaming, bullying, and even gender-based violence. For generations of girls and women, poor menstrual health and hygiene is exacerbating social and economic inequalities, negatively impacting their education, health, safety, and human development. 

Health

When girls and women have access to safe and affordable sanitary materials to manage their menstruation, they decrease their risk of infections. This can have cascading effects on overall sexual and reproductive health, including reducing teen pregnancy, maternal outcomes, and fertility. Poor menstrual hygiene, however, can pose serious health risks, like reproductive and urinary tract infections which can result in future infertility and birth complications. Neglecting to wash hands after changing menstrual products can spread infections, such as hepatitis B and thrush. 

• Studies have found that giving out sanitary pads to girls leads to a significant reduction in sexually transmitted infections and bacterial vaginosis.

• The lack of means for hygienic management of menstruation can cause discomfort and psychological stress and adds to the shame and sometimes depression that women and girls experience because of menstruation-related taboos and stigma .

Economy

Improving menstrual hygiene and providing access to affordable menstrual materials can help improve girls’ and women’s access to education, opening more options for jobs, promotions, and entrepreneurship, thus unleashing female contributions to the overall economy, rather than keeping them at home. In addition, feminine hygiene products are a multibillion-dollar industry, which, if properly tapped into, can generate income for many and significantly boost economic growth.

• Girls who drop out of school have limited employment opportunities and often marry early and begin bearing children, further reducing their options for earning income.

• Women who lack female-friendly sanitation facilities in the workplace lose wages for days of work missed during menstruation and are viewed as unreliable workers, diminishing options for advancement.

• Because of financial constraints or limited markets, many girls and women are unable to access adequate menstrual products.

Conclusion

On any given day, more than 300 million women worldwide are menstruating.  In total, an estimated 500 million lack access to menstrual products . To effectively manage their menstruation, girls and women require access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, affordable and appropriate menstrual hygiene materials, information on good practices, and a supportive environment where they can manage menstruation without embarrassment or stigma.

We have distributed 960 sanitary pads in total to these 8 schools.