Njeri Maina, a UDA Kirinyaga Woman Representative, questioned why the government was yet to provide free sanitary towels despite the President pledging free sanitary towels during the signing of the Kenya Kwanza Women Charter.
Njeri Maina was speaking in Parliament where she raised concern over the unavailability of sanitary towels for school girls. She explained that the girls were having a hard time accessing the sanitary items they needed to study. Without the sanitary towels, some of them end up staying at home and missing school.
The provision of sanitary towels in schools has consistently been an issue, especially in Kenya. This is because the towels themselves which are a basic need are too expensive for ladies to afford. Consequently, some have to skip school to avoid any embarrassment that may come from not wearing a sanitary towel.
She mentioned that the women representatives were trying their best to address this shortage despite the financial challenges all around. She however mentioned that the responsibility ought to be on the government which made a promise to provide sanitary towels and is yet to fulfil that.
Promises Made Affecting Provision of Sanitary Towels
Aside from that, the woman representative mentioned that the government was also yet to disburse the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF). This fund was to be used by the MPs for the sanitary interventions. This is another reason for the shortage of the said towels.
” I want to confirm that 30 county women reps have had a sitting with the Gender CS, Aisha Jumwa and we had a discussion on the sanitary towels,” she said.
From the conversation, she mentioned that the women reps had exhausted all their personal finances in buying sanitary towels to ensure that girls go to school despite their menses.
The biggest barrier of progress is fake news. cheapest sanitary towels is retailing at KES 49 and not 130 or 120 purported.The ultimate is to have this cost brought down to as low as possible & to facilitating school girls and prisons with free sanitary towels. #endperiodpoverty pic.twitter.com/Xab3a0RYX9
— Gloria Orwoba (@gloria_orwoba) July 27, 2023
Budget Allocated For Sanitary Towels
After the statement, Njeri asked CS Aisha and CS Education, Ezekiel Machogu, to explain why the sanitary towels were not available in schools. She pointed out that there was a Ksh 940 million that was in Ruto’s first budget.
” In all honesty, we have to be told where is the Ksh 940 million for sanitary towels. Periods are not something that girls can say that they can do away with it’s not an option. The periods come monthly and the matter needs to be taken seriously,” she added.
Read Also: Plea to Introduce a Budget for Sanitary Pads in Schools
As part of the manifesto from Kenya Kwanza, Ruto promised to provide free sanitary towels for free to schools. He promised that they would have pads in all public washrooms in the country. Since their entrance into power, they have, however, not managed to fulfil any of those promises.
Girls have constantly faced challenges in accessing sanitary towels and the Women’s Representatives have tried to offer some solutions. Aside from the women reps, Non-Governmental Organisations have consistently taken up the responsibility to offer free sanitary towels to schools. This is, however, often limited to students in remote areas and underdeveloped Counties. This locks out a large majority that needs the towels desperately but cannot access them.
Why are condoms free while sanitary towels aren't ?
— Ritaliciousss🧸🍭 (@bhadgurlrih) April 22, 2023
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