Kiambu County Women Representative, Anne Wamuratha, has launched a program to provide free sanitary towels to schoolgirls in public schools across Kiambu County.
This initiative aims to address challenges that have plagued the national free sanitary towels program for schoolgirls in Kenya.
Background on the National Program
The free sanitary towels program was initially designed to ensure that girls can comfortably attend school during their menstrual cycles.
However, the rollout encountered obstacles, including supply shortages, quality concerns, and organizational weaknesses within the Ministry of Education (MoE), which managed the program’s budget.
An audit spanning the financial years 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22 revealed that the MoE provided only seven packets of sanitary towels annually to each girl, instead of the intended nine packets.
Additionally, girls in classes One to Five who had reached puberty were receiving sanitary towels, affecting the allocation meant for older students.
County Woman Representatives Take Over Management
Following recommendations from the National Assembly’s Social Protection Committee, county woman representatives will now oversee the program.
This shift aims to improve the distribution of sanitary towels and address the shortcomings of the previous system.
Wamuratha’s initiative will distribute sanitary pads through the office of the Women Representative under the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF).
This approach is expected to improve access to sanitary towels and promote better menstrual hygiene among girls in Kiambu County.
The launch of this initiative was held at Ndumberi Stadium, symbolizing a significant step towards ensuring girls’ education is uninterrupted by menstrual challenges.
Research suggests that one in ten African adolescent girls miss school due to a lack of proper menstrual hygiene products. This can lead to girls falling behind in their studies and even dropping out of school altogether.
