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Lack of feminine hygiene products and its impact on education
The Issue in
Kenya
Menstrual Hygiene Managment
in Kenya
Menstrual hygiene management - including access to sanitary products such as pads and tampons is extremely limited in Kenya - especially for girls in low-income rural areas. Menstrual Hygiene Management includes access to clean water and sanitation, knowledge and information, and safe menstrual absorbents (http://www.mdws.gov).
Significant barriers to menstrual hygiene management such as access to clean water and sanitation facilities, lack of knowledge and high costs prevent women and girls from participating in a variety of activities including school, work and other daily activities. Below is a brief explanation of the barriers to access of sanitary products experienced by women and girls in Kenya and the consequences of these barriers.
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Days For Girls
Days For Girls, a nonprofit organization, discusses the negative consequences of poor MHM affecting girls in Kenya.
In Kenya, gender dynamics become more noticeable during puberty and can leave young women and girls particularly vulnerable. It is common practice in Kenya for girls to engage in transactional sex or depend on boyfriends to supply them with basic needs such as sanitary pads. (Duke Global Health Institute, 2012)
In relationships such as these where the young girl is dependent on her partner, she is less likely to be able to negotiate safe sex practices, “thereby increasing their risk of contracting STIs including HIV or experiencing unwanted pregnancy” (Phillips-Howard, et al. , 2015).
To prevent sexual vulnerability among girls, families will sometimes arrange marriages for them at very young ages. Child marriage impacts about 1 in 4 girls in Kenya (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 2014) and can increase the likelihood of school dropout and negative health outcomes (UNFPA, 2014)
Gender Dynamics
Lack of general sanitation in schools, homes and public areas affects the whole population, but has a devastating effect on women and girls experiencing menstruation. Only 30 percent of Kenyans have access to sanitation facilities and 13 percent of the population must practice open defecation (Mayoyo, Patrick, 2014).
In most schools, girls lack the necessary resources and privacy to practice menstrual hygiene management. Lack of consistent access to clean water negatively affects menstruation women and girls, especially in low-income urban areas. For example, if there was a leak, the girl may not be able to wash her clothing or her body and must continue her day with stained clothing and feeling uncomfortable. This can lead to sexual or physical harassment by other adolescents, mainly males. At home, clean water is not prioritized for menstrual hygiene management (washing reusable pads, cups, or other materials used as pads) (Mason, Linda, et al. 2013).
The location of available toilets put girls at risk for gender-based violence; “the majority of sexual violence occurs within the context of using a toilet, bathing, or managing menstrual hygiene” (Amnesty International, 2010). Options for the safe and private disposal of menstrual waste, including used sanitary products, is extremely limited; only 1 percent of girls are able to dispose of this waste in a safe and environmentally friendly manner (Waithera, Eva, 2015).
Access to Clean Water
& Sanitation
“Sustainable mechanisms to process large amounts of menstrual waste are needed at the system level.”
IRC's podcast series WASH Talk discusses the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector and its relation to menstruation in places such as Nepal and Kenya.
Access to MHM Knowledge & Information
The Kenyan government mandates puberty and reproductive health education in schools, however execution remains questionable. When provided, the current curriculum focuses mostly on biological aspects of puberty instead of psycho-social behaviors and aspects such as menstrual hygiene practices (Kenya Ministry of Education, 2012).
Although some interventions to improve education on menstrual hygiene practices are taking place, these interventions are usually located in school settings which leave out vulnerable populations such as out-of-school girls. Current practices focus heavily on keeping girls in school, as opposed to reaching those who have already dropped out.
Another population at risk are girls who have been victims of female genital mutilation (FGM). Oftentimes, girls with FGM suffer more physical pain during their monthly periods, mainly because of the narrowing of the vaginal opening.
Ruby Cup and ARRIVE Kenya team up to deliver 100 menstrual cups to girls in southwest rural Kenya. (click picture for article)
The Pad Project sews washable & reusable pads for girls impoverished areas of Kenya. As of February 2017, they distributed 10,252 pads!
(click picture to read article)
Access to Feminine Hygiene Products
The type of sanitary products used by women in Kenya varies depending on economic status. The majority of women in rural areas (65%) (Jewitt, Harriet, 2014) use disposable pads as a primary or secondary method of menstrual hygiene management. Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Heart Education found that 42% of Kenyan school girls have never used sanitary pads. They often resort to rags, blankets, pieces of mattress, tissue paper, and cotton wool.
Reusable pads are an exciting prospective solution for girls in low-income settings however usage is low. Explanations could be that disposable sanitary pads have a lower upfront cost. Based on this, the higher one-time cost of a reusable pad can be discouraging. The same case can be made for reusable menstrual cups; however, cups have more taboo associated with them than pads. Both tampons and cups are usually considered taboo because of discomfort with insertion, and association with purity and virginity (House et al. , 2012)
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In a study conducted among 14 to 16 year old girls in primary schools located in western Kenya, the safety, acceptability, and use of menstrual cups was analyzed. After initial concerns of insertion were addressed by a nurse or trainer, the girls reported less leakage and higher levels of comfort than with pads (Mason, Linda et al. 2015) The major disadvantage when it comes to menstrual cups is sanitation. Cups must be rinsed and then sanitized after each period with either boiling water (clean water is limited and use for MHM is not prioritized) or a sanitizer (cost is high and access may be limited especially in rural areas).
Conclusion
In the past six years, menstrual health and menstrual hygiene management has gained national attention in Kenya, especially its relation to education. Supportive policies and increases in advocacy and interventions have increased; however, the most vulnerable girls - such has girls with FGM or those that have already dropped out of school - may not be benefiting from current interventions. The cost of menstrual hygiene management continues to be a major issue for girls in low-income urban or remote areas. In addition to cost, access to sanitation facilities and knowledge of MHM is low. Despite efforts, Kenya is currently experiencing widespread disparities in menstruation management because of these barriers.
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