ROCS Marlon Lester Phiri seeks Menstrual Hygiene Management in Zambia
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Reformed Open Community Schools ROCS Executive Director, Marlon Lester Phiri
By Reformed Open Community Schools (ROCS) Executive Director, Marlon Lester Phiri
ROCS CALLS FOR FIRM COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS For immediate release 1st June,2017
The Reformed Open Community Schools (ROCS) would like to call on the various stakeholders in the country to fully commit themselves towards addressing matters related to menstrual hygiene at all levels of the community in order to break the silence about taboos and raise awareness on the importance of good Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) for women and adolescent girls in the country.
As an organisation that works for the promotion of education in community schools targeting vulnerable adolescent children, ROCS feels that various stakeholders particularly government should show commitment and priotise good menstrual health for girls in communities. There is need for strong partnership among various stakeholders in the country including the private sector, traditional and church leaders, the media and individuals to promote Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) through awareness raising of the challenges women and girls face in the country as a result of menstruation and highlight solutions that address these challenges.
Menstruation hygiene management is important for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, access to sanitation and hygiene for all with special attention to the needs of women and girls. Building and upgrading education facilities that are gender sensitive, provide clear opportunities to make Menstrual Hygiene part of the agenda. Therefore, government including various agencies, the church, CSO, media, policy makers and traditional leaders should prioritise promotion of menstrual hygiene. As the world commemorated the World Menstrual Hygiene Day which fell on 28th May under the theme‘Education about Menstruation changes everything,’ ROCS therefore calls on the following to take appropriate actions:
Policy makers: Ensure that every girl everywhere has the knowledge, menstrual pads and the necessary facilities to manage their menstrual period hygienically, with dignity and confidence and without stigma.
Traditional leaders: Ensure that negative cultural practices that hinder good menstrual hygiene practices are abandoned. On the other hand ensure that good and beneficial practices are encouraged and promoted.
School Leadership: Provide menstrual hygiene education so that girls feel comfortable in class and are empowered to make decisions to manage their menstrual cycles and ensure that adequate supplies of menstrual products are readily available.
Media: Ensure that communities are aware about the importance of managing menstrual hygiene
Communities: Demand through elected representatives for the provision of menstrual hygiene facilities in local health facilities and other public places
Private sector: Work with the CSO, government agencies, the church and policy makers to promote menstrual hygiene practices through their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.
In 2016, the government through the Ministry of Finance made a policy pronouncement during budget presentation to Parliament that Government would in 2017 commence free distribution of menstrual pads to girls in rural and peri-urban areas. We have noted that despite making this commitment the government has not lived to its commitment to ensure menstrual pads are distributed to schools. For instance a quick check in 10 schools in Monze revealed that they did not-
(a) Know about governments plan to distribute menstrual pads to schools,
(b) They did not receive any menstrual pads,
(c) They continue to subsidise pupils for menstrual pads through the fees that parents pay to schools.
This scenario puts the lives of girls at risks as they are most likely to continue using unsafe methods which are harmful to their health during menstruation. Marlon Phiri (Mr)-0971010683 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
