The past couple of
weeks have been really exciting and thrilling. I have moved
from the comfort of my home to live with another family in Tamale
(Northern Region of Ghana) after I signed up for the International Citizen Service
(ICS) programme run by International Service Ghana and I have been placed
at the Women Support and Activist Group (WOSAG) with other volunteers
from Ghana and the U.K. It has been a nice experience leaving home and staying
with a family I did not know before and I can say that, it has gone very well for
me. My first team workshop with the WOSAG volunteering team was
on menstruation and menstrual hygiene management in the
developing world. At first, I didn’t feel comfortable talking about blood, vaginas and
periods… The whole thing seemed very foreign to me and, to be honest, a little
disgusting as well. I didn’t really see why I should care about all this,
since, as a man, Mother Nature exempted me from all this! However, when doing some research about
menstruation management in the developing world, and in Ghana especially, I realised
how crucial it was to speak out about menstruation. Here are some of the things
I found out about that I think everybody should be made aware of.
Why
menstrual hygiene matters
When women and adolescent girls use safe sanitary products to absorb or
collect menstrual blood, that can be changed in privacy as often as
necessary for the duration of a menstrual period, use soap and water for washing
the body as required, and have access to safe and convenient facilities to dispose of used materials, that is
menstrual hygiene management. The
average amount of blood lost during menstruation is
30-40ml
– although some
women have lighter or heavier flows than others.
Globally, approximately 52% of the female population (26% of the
total population) is of reproductive age. Most of these women and girls will
menstruate each month for between two and seven days. To manage menstruation
hygienically and with dignity, it is essential that women and girls have access
to water and sanitation. They need somewhere private to change sanitary cloths
or pads; clean water and soap for washing their hands, bodies and reusable
cloths; and facilities for safely disposing of used materials or a clean place
to dry them if reusable. It is also essential for both men and women to have a
greater awareness of good menstrual hygiene practices. With WOSAG, we will make
the most of our Women's Day sensitisation programmes in Banvim and Kanvili, two communities
of Tamale, to raise awareness about the need for
menstrual hygiene and the use of proper sanitary products during menstruation.
 |
| Blandine and Caleb leading a workshop about menstrual hygiene management with WOSAG. |
Menstrual hygiene is a neglected issue and at the household level, women and adolescent girls generally have little control over whether they have access to a private latrine or money to spend on sanitary materials. The lack of physical and economic access to hygienic and safe products and facilities means that many women and girls around the globe use unsanitary materials such as old rags, dried leaves, grass, ash, sand, newspaper or socks.
Even when gender
inequalities are addressed, deeply embedded power relations and cultural taboos
persist. Most people, and men in particular,
find menstrual hygiene a difficult subject to talk about. As a result of these
issues, water, sanitation and hygiene programmes often fail to address the
needs of women and girls.
Due to inadequate information and awareness, young girls often grow
up with limited knowledge about menstruation. This may be because their mothers
and other women shy away from discussing the issue with them. Besides, adult
women may themselves not be aware of the biological factors or good hygienic practices, and
instead pass on cultural taboos and restrictions to be observed to the next
generation. For example, it is estimated that, some 48% of girls in Iran
believe that menstruation is a disease. Men
and boys typically know even less, but it is important for them to understand
menstrual hygiene so they can support their wives, daughters, mothers,
students, employees and peers.
Taboos surrounding menstruation exclude women and girls from many
aspects of social and cultural life as well as menstrual hygiene services. In Ghana such taboos include not
being able to touch water points or prepare food for older males - although
women are allowed to cook for fellow females and younger males. Women can also be excluded from religious rituals and even from
their own family home - menstruating females may be
given a separate place to stay during their period.
In Kenya also, menstruating
women are not allowed to touch or milk cows for fear that the cows will get
sick or die. As a result,
women and girls are often denied access to water and proper sanitation
when they need it most. With this being said, menstruation should be considered
a normal natural occurrence and no more
taboos and stigmas should be associated with it.
UNESCO estimates that, 1 in 10
African adolescent girls miss school during their menses and eventually drops
out. Teachers (and
male members of staff in particular) can be unaware of girls' needs, in some
cases refusing to let them visit the latrine. As a result, girls have been
reported to miss school during their menstrual periods or even drop out
completely. In rural areas of Ghana, about
95% of girls failed to attend school during their menstrual periods. Well-designed and appropriate water, sanitation and
hygiene facilities that address menstrual hygiene can make a significant
difference to the schooling experience of girls.
Menstruation if not
properly managed can result in health problems. The impact of poor menstrual
hygiene on the psycho-social wellbeing of women and girls (e.g. stress levels,
fear and embarrassment, and social exclusion during menstruation) should also
be considered.
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| Blandine and Caleb demonstrating how tampons work to WOSAG volunteers. Tampons remain a rare luxury in Ghana. Pads are cheaper and more readily available. |
In conclusion, a lack of
adequate Menstrual Hygiene Management denies women and girls their right to
education, right to health, right to engage in social activities and right to
work in favourable conditions. In order to improve menstruation management for women and girls around
the world, it is crucial that:
- They have access to well-designed and appropriate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities as well as to affordable, safe and sanitary menstruation products;
- Taboos and stigmas no longer exist;
- Factual Information and education about menstruation hygiene is provided in schools via health workers and doctors, via the media and at home.
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| Just a few days after our menstruation workshop, the newspaper The Graphic issued an article about sanitation facilites and menstruation in Ghana! |
Author: Caleb Adams
Edited by: Blandine Bénézit, Andrew Hamilton
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