Girls and women of all ages in this district still
have a very limited say over their lives and in particular over their
sexuality. Hence facing a number of problems among which include; the expense of commercial sanitary pads; absenteeism where
girls stay at home rather than attending school when menstruating; inadequate menstral
waste disposal facilities; lack of privacy for changing menstrual materials;
leakage from poor-quality menstral protection materials; the lack of resources
for washing such as soap and water, limited education about the facts of
menstruation; limited access to counseling and guidance; fear caused by
cultural myths; embarrassment and low self esteem; and the unsupportive attitudes
of some mothers, fathers and teachers. Most of them aredisempowered by the simple biological
process of menstruation, affordable and hygienic sanitary protection is not
available to girls in many areas hence resorting to the use of unhygienic rags and cloths which
put them at the risk of infections. The education of these children is critical
for Uganda’s economic development. Educating girls is widely regarded as one of
the best ways to improve the economy and health of developing countries since Educated
girls are more likely to become empowered women; they are more likely to take
control of their lives, have proper economic security decissions, and raise
manageable and healthier children who will in turn be be educated.
Girls, however, consistently perform
poorly academically than boys. Academic performance is closely correlated with
school attendance, and absenteeism, and dropout rates are high for rural
Ugandan girls. Studies have shown that
these high rates are often linked to their reproductive biology. A recent
survey on menstruating girls in East Africa found that “the biggest numbers of
school dropouts are girls because of inconveniences during their menstrual
periods.” (source water supply &sanitation
collaborative council, wsscc 2014). The government of Uganda provides
“free” primary education for all children up through Primary 7.About
65% of women and girls in Uganda cannot afford sanitary pads. Evidence suggests
that the period around puberty is one in which many girls drop out of school or
are absent from school for significant periods of time. Limited access to safe,
affordable, convenient and culturally appropriate methods for dealing with
menstruation has far reaching implications for rights and physical, social and
mental well-being of many adolescent girls in Uganda and other developing
countries as well. It undermines sexual and reproductive health and well-being
and has been shown to restrict access to education. Faced with the complete lack
of sanitary pads, this can only mean that the girls miss school for
considerable period of time and this has negative impact on the quality of
learning they receive, their overall academic performance, their retention and
transition through the education system.
The
inaccessibility of menstrual products results in embarrassment, anxiety and
shame when girls and women stain their clothes, which is stigmatizing. Once
girls start missing school they are far more likely to be exposed to other
risks such as early pregnancy and marriage, HIV/AIDS and others. Increasing
girl’s completion of education cycles is a critical component of efforts to
build their wider empowerment and in particular for ensuring that they are more
able to be involved in decision making over all aspects of their lives
including over their reproductive and sexual health rights. Additionally, inaccessibility of menstrual
products compromises the effective uptake of family planning services. This is
occasioned by the fact that girls who cannot afford the disposable sanitary
towels more often are more at risk of manipulation by men who promise to
provide them with the money to buy the pads. Eventually they are forced to have
sexual relationship which ultimately leads to unwanted pregnancies and further
risks of maternal and child health related problems as they are normally not
prepared to take care of children at these early ages.
