AIDS Health Foundation (AHF) Zambia Programme Manager, Mabvuto Kango has noted that lack of access to sanitary towels by school going girls predisposes them to harmful activities.
Dr. Kango says lack of availability of sanitary towels especially in rural areas, exposes girls to find ways of assessing them, adding that this results in them undertaking dangerous ventures which make them vulnerable.
He said this in Kafue this morning when AHF Zambia in collaboration with Miracle Corner made a donation of sanitary towels to Chikupi Primary school.
Dr Kango noted that menstrual periods are a major cause of absenteeism from school of about one in ten girls in Africa, adding that girls also miss one to four days of school in a month which eventually leads to dropping out of school.
He said his organisation is determined to help improve access to education for the girl child, adding that once they are empowered with education, they become less vulnerable and have the potential to become vibrant women who can contribute to the country’s socio-economic growth.
And Miracle Corner Country Manager, Violet Mwansa, has called on government to consider reducing the tax paid on sanitary pads in order to make them more affordable.
She noted that menstrual periods just like early marriages and early pregnancies, also has the potential to make a girl child stay away from school, hence the need to find a lasting solution to the challenge.
Meanwhile, Chikupi Primary School Deputy Headmistress, Matama Mulenga, has expressed gratitude to the AIDS Health Foundation for the donation.
Ms Mulenga noted that the donation will help boost the enrolment of girls at the school, as well as the general attendance.
She added that the donation will also contribute to improving the performance of girls at the learning facility, and their participation during lessons, and boosting the confidence within them.
Chikupi Primary School has 1,002 pupils out of which 461 are girls and 541 are boys.
If sanitary towels are to be made available to school girls why not soap, why not toothpaste because they need these even more frequently than sanitary pads.
Couldn’t agree with you more.
Lack of sanitary pads causes them to miss class but lack of soap doesn’t