Kunzwana Women’s Association was among the first NGOs in Zimbabwe to highlight the issue and the need to make low cost, re-usable sanitary pads for rural women. It has begun the year with practical training to address the issue.
Menstrual health and personal hygiene is incorporated within the four-module practical skills training offered by Kunzwana at its Training Centre in Macheke. The training includes sewing low-cost and reusable sanitary pads, theoretical health aspects and discussion on service delivery challenges in most rural communities such as shortage of water and abject poverty – which makes women resort to using dried cow dung, leaves from Mugodo trees (as they are soft and can absorb some liquid) and maize husks instead of proper sanitary wear.
These practices are neither hygienic nor safe and place women at risk of several diseases. Kunzwana has known women who dig a hole and kneel over it for the whole day, until the bleeding has stopped. Girls miss at least five days of schooling during menstruation each month – a situation that has contributed to the 70% school drop-out rate among girls.
Unacceptable
There is also stigma attached to menstruation and religious practices that discriminate against women. Hence mothers prefer to keep their daughters at home during this time of the month. “This situation is not acceptable, that girls and women are disadvantaged and discriminated against because of a natural and unchangeable circumstance like women’s menstruation,” says Mira Wollenstein, of Kunzwana.
“Zimbabwe remains a patriarchal society despite gender equality gains made during the constitution-making process. Gender budgeting processes have omitted allocating resources towards women’s menstrual health. Public health policy and institutions distribute free condoms to men, yet there is no consideration for free sanitary pads or pain killers for women.”
She said development planning should consider women – as they were half the population. Women aged 12 to 55 undergo menstruation each month. “This should be regarded a national priority which deserves to have the national budget allocation for gender to be increased from the current 0.06%,” added Wollenstein.
Fabrics used during the training are sourced locally and are easily available. Sewing the sanitary pads is part of Kunzwana’s garment making training module which shows trainees on how to cut, sew and use them. The training includes business management and encourages women to start business ventures, create employment and stimulate demand in their rural communities. Since the participants scored this training highly, Kunzwana will be holding such trainings regularly. – For more info please contact Harare Tel: 747190.
Post published in: Analysis