By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
World Menstrual Day is celebrated every year on the 26th May in order to support women and girls going through the most difficult phase in a woman’s life the United Nations International Emergency Fund in collaboration with other partners held a Menstrual Panel discussion at the Saphyre Court in Freetown off King Harman Road to educate young boys, Men, teenage girls, and Women on the importance of Menstrual Hygiene and the stigmatization women and girls go through as a result of the ridicules they get from the Society at large.
The Deputy Minister 1 at the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Hon. Emily Gogra in her opening statement said as a Ministry that practices radical inclusion in encouraging girls to stay in school.
She said Menstruation long ago girls were afraid to go to school as they are scared and ashamed and those girls should go to school during their menstrual phase with dignity using the menstrual facts. She continued that there have been cases wherein girls had over the years stopped schooling due to the shame and stigma that comes when they are on their Menstrual Flow.
The event was jam-packed with young boys, Men, young girls and Women to educate especially young boys and men who stigmatize girls and women during their Menstrual phase to raise awareness amongst them on the importance of women going through such phase in life and to support each other as women and girls react differently going thru such pains as some will be mood or quiet but in all they need company to change their emotional being, the Minister highlighted.
She further more stated that this is also a time of warning to girls as during Menstruation is a time for girls wherein their senses becomes developed along with their physical appearance and some of these changes leads to unwanted pregnancy if proper training and educative advice is not given and encourages girls to keep their integrity.
Madam Gogra also mentioned that all what UNICEF and partners are doing is to protect their health rights; she said when girls are on their Menstrual cycle it is easy for virus to enter into their systems hence encourages all to be careful and mindful of where they keep their sanitary pads to air out, where they hang their nickers and that ironing them helps a lot to kill the virus or germs that enters them.
She concluded by advising girls that Menstruation is a natural concurrence and that girls should accept it as it is and take care of themselves, of the environment around them, and take it as a normal thing as it is not an illness as girls and women say and encourages parents to support especially the father figure, teachers, boys and men to support women and girls.
Alice F. Mansaray a student of the Comprehensive Secondary School at Goderich spoke on the effects of the pains and mood swings they go through, she said some days they are quiet, sad and also spoke of the physical changes that they see as the breast and thighs enlarges and in some instances girls fail to take care of themselves properly she said.
Few of the boys at the event also spoke of how girls behave when they are on their Menstruation as they say girls are sometimes quiet, angry or sad and are always sleepy especially in class and are unable to listen to their teachers when teachings are ongoing in class.
The Country Director of Girl Child Network Sierra Leone Madam Anita Koroma thanked UNICEF for such educative and informative and interactive platform where girls, boys, men and women get to share their opinions and express their feelings about Menstruation. She said the Girl Child Network not long ago engaged in a nationwide campaign but little effort or importance was given to it as so many people considered talking about it a taboo but said women and girl’s especially young girls need to speak about it, as these feelings silences them from making impactful contributions in Society due to stigma.
She also said during their days parents especially mothers don’t talk about these things to them even in the schools as they considered talking about it a taboo. She said in the past they used cloths as sanitary pads and that they learned from their elder ones in suit of their own adventure when it reaches their turn as they knew back then little or no information about Menstruation nor Menstrual Hygiene but appreciates the effort of teachers and UNICEF especially in providing re-useable sanitary pads for girls and all contributing factors that has played a significant role in educating girls to speak up and feel confidence of themselves.
Whilst, Madam Suman Sachdera Education Specialist from UNICEF said the platform is to encourage young girls from the silence and trauma that they go through and to encourage them to speak up and also teach them on the importance of Menstrual Hygiene as she said girls go through ridicule from boys who laugh at them when unexpectedly they start to see their Menstruation and that this affects the girl child mentally and emotionally.
She concluded by encouraging Young boys on the importance, support, and care they should render to young girls and women who suffer these painful Menstruation. She narrated a story of a girl named Elizabeth who was shamed due to her menstruation that stained her uniform and as a result the boys in school ridiculed and laughed at her and this the girl was embarrassed and stopped schooling.
She also concluded by encouraging girls on Menstrual health and sanitation of girls and advised them on what needs to be done and what they ought to do in ensuring they are safe from STDS and other viruses they develop on their Menstruation.
