MENSTRUATION IN PANDEMICS

MENSTRUATION IN PANDEMICS

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In a tweet by UN Women “nearly 1.25 billion women and girls lack access to a safe private toilet”, Menstrual Hygiene Day.  This is alarming and sad to our women and girls. This why the world celebrates world Menstruation Day on 28^th May, which was yesterday #MHD2020.

According to Rebublicanworld.com World Menstrual Hygiene Day was initiated to be on 28^th May, because most cycles take 28 days and last for 5days. Aim of this day is to promote menstrual hygiene in the world.

What  is menstruation?

Menstruation means  the vaginal bleeding that occurs in human and some animals as a result of the uterus wall shedding off.

In women menstruation occurs in different cycles some have regular cycles of 21/ 28 days or more others are irregular. Menstruation/periods comes with various challenges in girls and women. Some may experience ;

ü  Headache

ü  Vomiting

ü  Excess bleeding

ü  Dizziness

ü  Heavy abdominal pains

Some of these challenges hinder girls not to engage in school or other social activities.

Issues around menstruation

ü  Stigma and taboos

The shame around menstruation comes mostly when one cannot access menstrual materials like pads, tampons, menstrual cups, tissue etc. Also, lack of enough information on how to handle oneself especially in girls. Taboos also cause stigma for example, in India women are restricted to eat some foods during periods. These taboos make women feel unwanted in the society.

  

“Menstruation is not a problem, poor hygiene is” Quote.

ü  Menstruation hygiene

It is very crucial for every girl to observe hygiene during periods.  This is enabled by provision of menstrual materials, water and safe private toilet. But how many can access this, especially in marginalized areas like slums, rural areas? That is the main reason of the World Menstrual Hygiene day to help promote this hygiene through support of non profit organizations and other stakeholders.

According to a review by Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli and Sheila Vipul Patel they found the following findings concerning menstruation;

1.      A significant number of girls lack much information on menstruation and therefore are caught unprepared.

2.      Those supposed to educate them like mums and aunts, have insufficient information which is untimely and only few can access internet for research.

3.      Most girls do not seek healthcare during menstruation health challenges that they experience and opt for home remedies.

4.      Health challenges that comes along like abdominal pains, headache make them skip school.

As a society we have witnessed this even at community level. This means we have to support our girls and women to achieve menstrual hygiene. By educating girls in school on how to handle themselves during menstruation like most schools do, but more in the remote areas to those who cannot access internet.

In addition, provision of menstrual materials is important in our schools so that we can combat stigma and raise their self-esteem. This will make them feel appreciated and even able to participate in all social activities.

ü  Period in pandemics

This is another issue that currently we are facing  around Covid-19. The pandemic has weakened the world in various ways more so health and economic. Marginalized people and those in humble background are struggling for basic needs. You can imagine what happens to girls and women in these areas. If food is challenge what about access to menstrual materials? Water still is a necessity in menstrual hygiene as it is for Covid-19.

It still more challenging to women who unfortunately contract Covid-19 while still having menstrual health challenges.

To overcome all these ;

-          Let’s keep educating our girls about menstrual health

-          Keep providing all the necessary materials like pads and even water and safe private toilet

-          Support girls and women to overcome stigma that comes with taboos

Periods in pandemic will be an easy journey if all stakeholders including you and me come together and support girls and women.  We all have ladies around us ;mothers, sisters, students, neighbors  and they need our support.

Thank you for reading through.