FDC women league to distribute sanitary pads in schools

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) women league will be donating 5000 packs of sanitary pads to different schools in Ngora district on the 25^th of this month to belatedly celebrate International Women's Day.

Apart from sanitary pads, the group will also be donating several mama kits to different hospitals to expectant mothers.

Sarah Eperu, the FDC Women's League spokesperson said many girls in the district miss out on school due to lack of sanitary pads,  while some of the expectant mothers cannot afford mama kits yet in most government health centres, the kits are not available.

"Many girls miss out on school in this district when they are in their monthly menstrual periods. This is because they fear staining their uniforms as well as stigma from boys when this happens, and this has a serious effect on their performance," said Eperu

"As FDC Women's League, we shall be distributing sanitary pads to different schools this Saturday to girls in different schools in the district. However, this is an expensive venture which we cannot do regularly; we therefore plan to move to different schools teaching girls how to make re-usable sanitary pads so that we do not have to keep donating," she said.

Eperu was speaking during a weekly press briefing held at FDC party headquarters in Najjanankumbi, on Monday.

Eperu said the FDC women are extremely disturbed by the failure of the regime to fulfil the pledge in their 2016-21 manifesto to provide free sanitary pads to school girls.

"They have failed to fulfil this pledge not because the government has no money, but because there is no political will, however, FDC Women's League is going to fulfil for the President his pledge in the manifesto," she said.

Apart from distributing pads and mama kits, the members will also be talking to girls and women about economic empowerment.

"During the celebration, we aim at increasing mobilization and recruitment of women into FDC and also empower them with information to improve their livelihood," she said.

The celebrations will take place in Kapiri Sub County, Ngora district and the theme of the day is "An Economically Empowered Woman Empowers the Nation".

The guest of honour will be the FDC president, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu accompanied by the former presidential candidate and former party president, Dr. Kizza Besigye.