Giving women, girls free sanitary pads would be the best gift to them

By BENEDICT MITHI NDETO

It was “Happy International Women’s Day!” all over the social media yesterday as the world celebrated the annual International Women’s Day, the highlight of the Women’s History Month marked in March. But then, as a country, we are doing too little to make our women and girls happy.

To make this special month count, the government should initiate a programme, whereby all women and girls get sanitary towels at taxpayer’s expense. It should also reduce tax on the towels to enable traders to lower the prices of the commodity, which is essential to health.

Our girls, especially in schools, particularly those in the rural areas, hardly get the sanitary towels or even afford them.

The government ought to allocate funds to the Ministry of Education, which should then distribute it to schools through head teachers and principals for buying sanitary towels to students. Even if they are given the pads once per month, it will be a big thing to them.

Most girls opt not to go to school just because they don’t have sanitary pads and fear to be seen as untidy. That leads to higher rates of school dropout among girls, which further entrenches marginalisation of women in society.

Some go to an extent of committing suicide after being humiliated by the other students or even teachers.

Let the government take it as its responsibility to provide the pads. As the world celebrates the women’s day, many little girls, especially in slums and the remote areas, feel abandoned by the government.

Prices of sanitary pads should be regulated to make them affordable to as many people as possible. Traders sell them at too high a price, making them out of reach for girls from financially unstable families. In addition, sanitary pads should be freely available in all public toilets as is the case with condoms for men. Women and girls do not have a choice when it comes to menstruation; however, engaging in sexual activities is optional.

Therefore, it is important to have sanitary pads in the washrooms so that in case a woman gets her periods abruptly, she can easily and conveniently get one to avoid the shame which she should have suffered if she did not.

Although women usually plan for their periods, we should not to forget that they are human too and anything can happen. A miscalculation or even change of the menstrual cycle can lead to periods becoming an emergency.

Having the towels freely available in public toilets will save women and girls the burden of always carrying the pads as they would be sure of accessing the towels anywhere if necessary.

To make this day, and month, have meaning, let the government resolve the issue of sanitary pads once and for all.

BENEDICT MITHI NDETO, Kisumu