WaterAid Rwanda advocates for poor families’ girls and women to get menstrual sanitary pads

The discussions brought together around seventy representatives from the public sector, private sector organizations, civil society organizations, students and citizens among other, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the National Commission for Children, international and local NGOs, and other stakeholders

The discussions focused on how women and girls can access pads at an affordable price. They discussed the need for safe toilets and disposal facility (sanitary bins) as well to change and dispose-off the used pads in schools, in health care facilities, at work, and in public places.

WaterAid recognizes the efforts of the Government of Rwanda to support girls at policy and practice level, especially the fact of making Menstrual Hygiene Management Rooms compulsory in all schools. However, WaterAid reveals that challenges remain for girls from poor families especially in the lowest economic ranking (Ubudehe Category 1), to access sanitary pads.

The Country Director of WaterAid Rwanda, Maurice Kwizera said that the organization expects from the meeting, the clear picture of challenges faced by poor families’ girls and women to access sanitary pads, the impact on their daily life and contribution in development and recommendations on how they can be solved. The report with resolutions will be shared within the sector especially policymakers to enhance girls’ access to pads during the menstrual period.

“For instance, a poor household might need money to buy pads for 2-3 persons, which is around RWF 3,000 on a monthly basis. One should wonder if a family in that category gets that money regularly. If we cater to their Medical Insurance, for water bill and other essential needs, we should also be concerned about their need for sanitary pads,” he said.

Kwizera explained that in such circumstances poor families’ girls and women have no alternative but to use inappropriate dirty pieces of cloths in their menstrual periods that lead to different infectious diseases such as reproductive tract infections, discomfort, lack of confidence and poor or lack of performance in education and work. He stressed, the issue is persistent in schools where quite several girls miss classes over lacking sanitary pads. Researches suggest that averagely, a girl with no access to sanitary pads misses 50 days of classes per year.

“The Government should try to ensure schools girls have access to such sanitary pads at school and at home. The government should consider making menstrual hygiene management materials tax free. The government should also encourage locally made sanitary pads. Moreover, workplaces, Taxi Parks, Banks, Health Care Facilities and other public places should be considered as target places to avail menstrual hygiene management materials and safe toilets with sanitary bins readily and freely available for women and adolescent girls”, noted Kwizera.

Solange Umutoniwase, a student at Rilima Catholic in Bugesera district has told IGIHE that lacking pads is part of major challenges facing them at school.

“A girl receives only one pad when they are available at school, but the matter lies in what to use at home given her parents are poor. In such a situation, the girl uses pieces of clothes available at home which she cannot take to school. Indeed using one pad is likely to cause bruises,” she said.

Dr. Zuberi Muvunyi, the Director General of Clinical and Public Health Services in the Ministry of Health who was the guest of honor, highlighted the importance of girls’ empowerment in national development agenda and why the Government needs to take heed on girls’ health ensuring that she obtains necessary menstrual sanitary kits.

He said that lacking the menstrual kits usually results into absenteeism to schools, poor performance or school dropouts among other inconveniences.

Muvunyi stressed the issue menstrual Hygiene Management particularly access to menstrual sanitary kits should be discussed in the National Leadership dialogue since its status affect much girls and women’s health, education, empowerment, dignity and the overall development of the country.

WaterAid was founded in 1981. It was officially registered and started operating in Rwanda in 2010. WaterAid Rwanda is one of the many country programs of WaterAid around the world. WaterAid supports the Government of Rwanda in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services. It currently runs operations in Bugesera and Nyamagabe districts.