Kenya joins the world in marking the Menstrual Hygiene Day 2019 with a focus to raise awareness on the importance of access to menstrual hygiene that is safe and dignified for women and girls.
Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs Cabinet Secretary Prof Margaret Kobia said that the government has made significant progress in providing free sanitary towels in public primary, secondary and special schools during the Tuesday celebrations.
#MenstrualHygieneDay
Throwback to last year's menstrual hygiene day! It's incredible what we can achieve together. pic.twitter.com/bmgaGM3ZF7— Soida Initiative (@InitiativeSoida) May 28, 2019
According to the CS, the state has distributed free sanitary towels to over 3.7 million girls across the country since 2017.
This is in a bid to ensure that the girl child has equal education opportunities as boys.
Girls who initially used to stay out of school during their menstrual cycles have now been accommodated by the programme.
“We are committed to ensuring that no woman or girl will be hindered from realising their full potential due to cultural, religious and economic barriers and beliefs around the menstruation subject.
Menstruation stigma, particularly for the young girls in school, remains an obstacle for girls achieving their full potential. We continue to work with various stakeholders on how we can tackle this issue,” stated CS Kobia.
Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs ministry has also collaborated with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education on finalizing the Menstrual Hygiene Management Policy.
The policy will ensure all women and girls are participating fully in their daily life activities with pride and dignity and without stigma and discrimination.
The end period poverty campaign has also been joined by Kenya’s notable celebrities like King Kaka and celebrated media personalities like Anita Nderu and Janet Mbugua.
Rapper King Kaka is set to gift 722 school going girls from Samburu County with sanitary towels.
King Kaka is using his initiative dubbed Bank on Me Sanitary Bank Campaign to help keep the needy girls in school.
“Some Good News!!!! Tomorrow 720 girls from Samburu will benefit from our King Kaka Sanitary Bank Campaign. Mentorship for both girls and boys, and securing the future of our young generation,” posted the celeb.
What a beautiful sight , knowing that today 722 girls from Samburu will benefit from The King Kaka Sanitary Bank Campaign gives us so much joy. #bankonmeke #kingkakasanitarybankcampaign #eastlandoroyalty pic.twitter.com/vWgdledcIV
— KING KAKA (@RabbitTheKing) May 28, 2019
