By Sharon Namarome

Menstruation is unavoidable in the lives of most women and girls with approximately half of the global female population experiencing menstruation, enduring a monthly cycle that lasts anywhere from two to seven days. Despite menstruation being a natural process, many face financial strain and discomfort due to inadequate access to menstrual products and education.

In Kenya, 65 percent of women cannot afford sanitary pads, and two out of three pad users in rural areas rely on sexual partners for these items, leading to potential health risks and early pregnancies. The Education Ministry reports that girls miss an average of four school days per month, and The United Nations estimates that 20 million girls drop out of school annually due to a lack of menstrual items.

This results in significant educational setbacks and hinders their academic and economic empowerment, on top of increased health risks. While the government has made efforts including tax exemptions on sanitary towels and supplying them in schools, sustaining support for the 2.6 million girls in need remains a pervasive challenge.

At such a time when the country is grappling with economic inflation, it may be obvious that many girls will continue to suffer in the shame of period poverty. This proves the urgency of enacting a holistic approach, tailored towards offering a lasting solution to make menses comfortable for girls and women. One solution may be to embrace reusable sanitary towels as research shows that they tend to last up to 5 years, proving their durability to period poverty.

Firstly, incorporating reusable sanitary towels into school curriculums, especially in home science lessons is imperative in teaching learners valuable sewing skills and ensuring there is availability of these essentials to menstruators. This will also help to nurture a generation that will have self-reliance in making these essentials. 

Secondly, there is a need to provide financial incentives and loans to local manufacturers to stimulate production, creating job opportunities for many locals while at the same time helping them to limit period poverty. 

Thirdly, it’s important to establish training programs at the grassroots level for quality production and efficiency improvement along with developing markets for locally produced towels to boost economic empowerment. This will ensure the products are locally available and affordable.

Finally, collaboration with NGOs and the private sector will help to leverage resources and expertise to promote affordable and quality reusable towels. In addition, investing in research and development to improve design and effectiveness is crucial to meeting users’ needs and preferences to ease menstruation among girls and women.

In conclusion, embracing reusable sanitary towels offers a holistic solution to period poverty, addressing economic, environmental, and health challenges while promoting empowerment and sustainability to women. A future where every girl can menstruate comfortably, without missing school due to a lack of menstrual products is a bright image and is a vision worth pursuing for the well-being and empowerment of women and girls globally.

Sharon Namarome, Sexual Health Reproductive and Youth Advocate at NAYA