Menstrual Hygiene Day … Eliminating Period Poverty …
Period poverty, or the inability to buy period products, is a severe issue, particularly in developing countries; it is an issue that menstruating girls and women face on a monthly basis, and it is a focus topic of Period Hygiene Day, which is marked annually on May 28.
“I’m happy to come here because I get to meet and work with other people,” said Ms. Fatty, who controls a special machine that installs snaps on each pad.
“This place gives me joy because I can forget about my disability while working here.”
Her strong, long-lasting pads assist ladies with mobility impairments who have difficulty going to the lavatory.
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Ms. Fatty plans to continue working there after a year. While her limitations present numerous problems and she previously struggled to make ends meet, her life has improved since she joined the initiative.
Menstrual Hygiene Day: Keeping female students in School
According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), period poverty is widespread in The Gambia, Africa’s smallest country, but it is particularly severe in rural areas.
Due to a scarcity of menstruation products and sanitary facilities, some girls miss school for five days each month.
According to the agency, the girls are frightened of spoiling their clothes and being the subject of bullying or violence.
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As a result, gender inequality grows; boys will have an advantage since they attend school more frequently than girls, who are more likely to drop out.
To address this issue, UNFPA established a project in Basse, in the country’s Upper River Region, to manufacture recyclable sanitary pads.
These pads are provided in schools and hospitals around the community.
To reduce period shaming and stigma, the organization uses it as an opportunity to communicate with young girls about bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health.
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Menstrual Hygiene Day: Educating and empowering young women
Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed on the 28th day of the fifth month of the year to promote good menstrual health and hygiene.
It aims to break the silence, raise awareness, and engage decision-makers to take action for better menstrual health and hygiene.
Poor menstrual health and hygiene undermine fundamental rights, social and economic inequalities, and human dignity.
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Menstrual Hygiene Day: Getting Rid of period poverty
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has four primary approaches to promoting and enhancing menstruation health around the world:
UNFPA distributes supplies and safe bathrooms, promotes menstrual health information and skills-building, improves education and information, supports national health systems, and gathers data and evidence about menstrual health and its connection to global development.