Although sanitary pads are available in the country’s shops, their price remains beyond the reach of many, forcing women to use leaves, cement bags, newspapers and other unhygienic materials.
Addressing stakeholders at a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for adolescence workshop, Youth Development founder, Primrose Faku, urged the government to provide free sanitary ware for women who cannot afford to purchase it..
“Women in the rural areas cannot afford sanitary ware and lack information on their reproductive health. Foreign currency is hard to come by in such areas and people end up resorting to unhygienic material such as tree leaves and newspapers which can be very dangerous to their health,” she said.
She also took a swipe at traditional leaders whom she described as a barrier to addressing young people’s concerns in rural areas.
“There is need for meaningful involvement and active participation of young people in programme and decision making. Traditional leaders think the issue of reproductive health is for older people yet youth participation is very critical in addressing such challenges,” she said.
Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council Programmes Manager, Brian Nachipo, implored journalists to empower young people through dissemination of correct information so that they can make informed decisions regarding sexual reproductive health.
Post published in: News