Tana River Woman Representative Amina Dika has launched an initiative to distribute free sanitary pads to schoolgirls to combat period poverty and reduce school absenteeism.
MP Dika said the initiative is designed to prevent adolescent girls from missing, dropping out of school or resorting to unhygienic methods due to the inability to afford basic disposable menstrual hygiene products.
Education stakeholders contend that lack of access to hygienic sanitary products is one of the biggest barriers to education for girls in rural public schools, hindering academic progress.
In the marginalized Tana River County many adolescent girls miss school due to inadequate toilets, lack of disposable sanitary pads and cultural stigmas that view menstruation as dirty and impure.
The Tana River County MP contends that the free sanitary pad distribution programme aims to promote gender equality and improve school attendance among schoolgirls, thus improving access to education.
Speaking in Hola town while supervising the distribution of 23,400 packs of sanitary towels to public schools, Dika said the access to the pads is a crucial step for the well-being of young girls across Tana River.
“The initiative aims to ensure that no adolescent girl misses school due to period-related absenteeism”, she said during the launch of the pads labelled free of charge.
She expressed her commitment to improving the welfare of women and girls across Tana River County through the promotion of menstrual health.
Dika emphasized the initiative’s importance in ensuring menstrual dignity and supporting the education of girls from poor backgrounds.
She said in Tana River girls miss school and experience shame and cultural stigma because of widespread myths and misinformation surrounding menstruation.
Dika said the initiative is focused on promoting health, hygiene and mental wellbeing among schoolgirls, particularly those in rural areas where access to menstrual hygiene products remains limited.
“This initiative will help reduce absenteeism among schoolgirls besides ensuring that the lack of menstrual hygiene products does not affect their education,” she said.
She went further: “the sanitary pads will enhance the dignity and confidence of schoolgirls, especially those from underserved communities.”
Dika said for many years girls have missed school, fallen behind in their studies or dropped out of school due to menstruation and inability to afford sanitary products.
“We must ensure that girls stay in school confident, healthy and empowered without missing lessons or resorting to unsafe alternatives,” Dika said.
She said providing the sanitary pads will in the long run ensure the wellbeing of young girls, gender equality in education and the removal of barriers to learning.
Area County Commissioner (CC) Joseph Mwangi lauded the initiative to provide free sanitary pads for female learners as a positive step to empower the girl child.
He said the move will help prevent girls from staying away from school during their monthly periods due to lack of access to clean hygienic products.
“The provision of free sanitary pads will go a long way in keeping vulnerable girls in school,” he said, noting that menstrual health should not hinder girls’ educational journey.
CC Mwangi said the initiative will empower girls to fully participate in classroom and school activities and reduce the dropout rates linked to menstrual health challenges.
Meanwhile, MP Dika disbursed cheques worth Sh7.1 million for the education bursary through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) to support vulnerable students in secondary schools.
Dika said the bursary will support bright learners in secondary schools from humble backgrounds. “The funds will go a long way to provide educational support for vulnerable students,” she said.
The legislator said the funds are part of efforts to reduce financial burden on poor families and ensure continued access to education for the beneficiaries.
“We are committed to ensuring that no student from Tana River is forced to abandon their academic journey due to financial constraints,” she said.
By Hussein Abdullahi
