On Monday, Machakos County Woman Rep Joyce Kamene Kasimbi officially launched a free sanitary pads program in Machakos, aiming at retaining adolescent girls in school while restoring their dignity and protecting their self - esteem.
The launch was conducted in Mavoko Sub-County at St. Paul's Primary ,Machakos Town Sub-County at St. Mary's Girls school and Kagundo Sub-County at Kagundo DEB Primary School
During her address at St. Mary's Girls school in Machakos Town Constituency, Woman Rep Joyce Kamene Kasimbi said there is need to educate communities about the importance of menstrual hygiene and to provide greater access to sanitary pads and other menstrual hygiene products to girls.
Over 60,000 school going girls are set to benefit from the program.
The Woman Rep Joyce Kamene said one of the major challenges facing adolescent girls in accessing sanitary pads is poverty, saying that there is a need for joint efforts to end stigma surrounding menstruation in girls .
According to Kamene, the initiative is primarily aimed at retaining adolescent girls in schools while restoring their dignity and protecting their self-esteem.
She noted that period stigma is a major challenge to the school going, pointing that it majorly affects their education and self-esteem.
"A big number of our girls don't go to school during their menstruation period for fear of embarrassment, should they accidentally soil their skirts," said Kasimbi
She called on society to join hands in fighting the stigma surrounding menstruation in girls, saying that no, even a single girl should miss school due to fear or having low self-confidence during the menstruation period.
The three events were graced by several leaders among them, MCAs, religious leaders, education officers, teachers, and many other stakeholders.
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