In a significant gesture to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day, the Chitungwiza Municipality announced a donation of sanitary pads to underprivileged girls and women.
The initiative aims to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene and address the challenges faced by those who lack access to essential sanitary products
Menstrual Hygiene Day, celebrated globally on May 28, is dedicated to breaking taboos and promoting good menstrual health and hygiene practices.
This year, Chitungwiza Municipality joined the world in this vital campaign by supporting local efforts to ensure that no girl or woman is left behind due to inadequate menstrual hygiene.
Speaking in an interview with Bustop TV , Chitungwiza Municipality Public Relations officer, Mr. Tafadzwa Kachiko, emphasized the importance of this initiative.
“The Menstrual Hygiene Day that we will recognize as belated tomorrow is very important to Chitungwiza because it breaks the silence around menstruation and the stigma often associated with it.”
The council has joined this movement to complement the efforts to create a world where women and girls are no longer held back because they menstruate. We have decided to amplify the awareness voices of the importance of good menstrual hygiene management worldwide on this day. That we will commemorate as a belated event tomorrow,” he said.
The Municipality was inspired to donate sanitary pads to the underprivileged girls and women in Chitungwiza because of the fact that they are failing to access sanitary pads due to their financial status.
“Chitungwiza Municipality was prompted to donate sanitary pads by the fact that the less privileged girls and women are failing to access them due prices which they cannot afford. You find some girls missing school because of not having sanitary wear. We don’t want the girls to miss school or to be laughed at after spoiling they clothes.
“In addition, the Municipality has access to the grass-roots. It understands the plight of the under-privileged in our society. We therefore, feel it is incumbent to make a change, however, minimal in the lives of our women and girls.”
The Municipality will be donating to 100 beneficiaries which were selected by their Gender Desk with the assistance of councillors and ward social worker volunteers.
The municipality plans to sustain this initiative beyond Menstrual Hygiene Day by making the donation an ongoing project.
“Our desire is to do this frequently since our under-privileged members of the society need them regularly. So we don’t want this to be a once-off thing.”
We have therefore approached as well as been approached by a number of NGO’s for partnership towards this cause. We have also set aside some of our own resources to purchase and distribute the sanitary ware,” said the Public Relations officer.
“We have the privilege of working with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. They have given us tremendous support in terms of sanitary ware and psycho-social and support among various interventions.”
The Municipality is also planning to address some other health and social issues through this similar initiative in Chitungwiza.
“Chitungwiza has always been responsive to public health issues such as cholera outbreaks, polio vaccinations. Drug abuse is another challenge that the council would challenge going forward. Early this month the council had been roped in a drug abuse awareness campaign by the central government.
“The Municipality would also like to address mental health issues and entrepreneurial training to empower our women and the girl child. We would also like to further partner with other organisations so that we end early child marriages in our communities and take care of teenage mothers who are otherwise not able to take care of their babies and themselves,” he said.
Chitungwiza Municipality’s commitment to menstrual hygiene is a commendable step towards achieving gender equality and improving the quality of life for women and girls in the community. As the world observes Menstrual Hygiene Day, such initiatives highlight the importance of collective action in addressing menstrual health challenges and promoting the dignity of every individual.
