As the country joins the world to celebrate the day of the girl child, a group of young people from Pallisa district in the Eastern part of the country have embarked on a  fresh campaign on menstrual hygiene with the goal of sensitizing and raising awareness in schools.

According to the group, this is done to safeguard the girls' dignity and prevent them from being bullied so they can continue attending school.

It is estimated that about five million girls in Uganda lose at least 18 percent of their annual school time during their menstruation period due to lack of sanitary pads.

Stigma

The youth under Pallisa Activistas Movement highlighted that stigma continues to be a significant obstacle for girls who start their periods in school, particularly in rural areas.

The group of 38 includes university and secondary school students.

 15-year-old Restie ( second name withheld)  was forced to leave school after being scorned by other classmates.

(L-R) Electine Magala, Ivan Adakun, Hairat Birungi, and Joseline Griuine Amoit at the Pallisa district headquaters. Photo by Jeff Andrew Lule

“Students behind me started laughing at me when I rose up to leave for a brief call. I was not upset, but I started to worry when I walked to the restroom. Students were staring at me and laughing, but I had no idea what was going on,” she adds.

Not until one of her friends approached her and told her that her skirt was covered with bloodstains.

“I immediately hurried home out of embarrassment. My mother persuaded me to go back to school after the menstruation had stopped four days after. She convinced me to go back and begin  purchasing pads for me after that,” she said

For Atuheire, she was fortunate to have someone to talk to and who could also give her sanitary pads.

The Activista network is a global youth organization that ActionAid International has developed to help young people become more effective social justice advocates in their neighborhoods.

The movement's foundation is built on a culture voluntarism and empowerment, which promote community sensitization, youth advocacy mobilization, and support for other local and international campaigns. 

However, the group noted that many females, particularly in rural schools, are compelled to drop out.

Other teenagers shared moving stories about individuals, who take advantage of them and cause them to become pregnant extremely early, which results in child marriages.

There are those who are caught off guard because they have no one to talk to,” Ivan Adakun, the leader of the group, adds that many girls often become duped by boda boda riders and other boys who promise to buy those pads, leading to sexual encounters and occasionally pregnancies.

“We came to the conclusion that menstruation is one of the main reasons why girls leave school in our area and parts of Eastern Uganda.

According to him, the campaign aims to educate and involve parents, teachers, and young people about the fact that menstruation is a natural occurrence and cannot be avoided.

The initiative also aims to enroll 75 pupils in each school who will have the necessary knowledge to instruct other girls on how to properly utilize menstrual pads.

“We’re going to teach these girls how to create reusable pads along with other partners. Despite the fact that pads may be purchased for as little as sh2000, many girls cannot afford them due to extreme poverty in their families. We also want to underline how crucial menstruation hygiene is,” he continued.

“We want the male students to understand that menstruation is a normal part of life for their sisters and all women. So, there's no reason to make fun of them,” he continued.

The head of Activistas Pallisa District Ivan Adakun. Photo by Jeff Andrew Lule

Dignity, building self-esteem

Hairat Birungi, 20, a student at Pallisa High School, believes the initiative is crucial for boosting women's self-respect and dignity.

“Therefore, we will speak out more in favor of these girls' privacy because, if we address the difficulties they face, it will empower all girls in school, since they will understand that this is a common occurrence,” she added.

With this campaign, she says girls will be able to advocate for a safer environment and menstrual cycle hygiene through the campaign.

Joseline Griuine Amoit, a 23-year-old student at Busitema University, says that there is a lot of anguish related to menstruation in schools since different individuals have different perspectives on it. 

“Boys make fun of them, therefore we want to alter that by incorporating the boys. Even some girls are shy, and when their periods begin, they are afraid to talk to their parents. However, even some parents are inapproachable, and girls are afraid to ask them for money to buy pads from them,” she observed.

Many girls need guidance, according to Pallisa Secondary School's Electine Magala, who also made this observation.

In August this year, the Uganda Red Cross Society, Secretary General, Robert Kwesiga opened a production facility for reusable pads in the Mukono district in August of this year. The Randal Foundation provided funding for the facility, which will generate 200000 packs annually.