#EndPeriodPoverty for Girls in Rural Zimbabwe

It is jacaranda season and all students know what it means. The third and final term of the academic year commenced a few weeks ago, right at the time when the jacaranda trees are showing off their full purple blooms. As the landscape is painted a beautiful purple, students however, intepret it differently. This season signifies the beginning of exam season as the grade sevens, O levels and A levels are getting ready for their final exams.

Talia Women's Network partnered with Stanbic Bank of Zimbabwe and visited Nyava Secondary School, approximately 60km from the capital Harare. During the visit, the teams interacted with girls at the school and encouraged them to study hard to increase their chances of a brighter future ahead. They also offered career guidance as most of the girls were not familiar with the various career options they could pursue.

The girls are faced with the daunting task of exam preparations and Talia Women's Network was able to provide them with the menstrual hygiene products they desperately need. More than 300 girls at Nyava Secondary School received dignity packs which comprised of reusable sanitary pads and underwear. This gave the girls one less thing to worry about and they know have no other excuse for not concentrating on their exam preparations.

The partnership with GlobalGiving and other private sector partners in Zimbabwe gives the girls in rural communities in Zimbabwe a boost in their education and an opportunity to change their lives and the lives of their families forever.

Talia Women's Network started the year with renewed emphasis on the "Keep Girls in School" campaign. The examination results published at the beginning of the year showed a decline in performance for rural schools for both O level and A level candidates. A number of reasons can be attributed to this poor performance including lack of adequate learning materials and also the secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged school closures.

However, conversations with the female learners indicate that period poverty is a major factor that causes so much stress and worry among the female students. The economic hardships the country is facing has resulted in an increase in prices of most commodities and unfortunately menstrual hygiene products are now beyond the reach of many. The girls interviewed highlighted that their parents and guardians were struggling to raise money for their fees and basic household commodities. There was no money to spare for sanitary pads hence the girls resorted to using old pieces of cloth and old newspapers which is unhygienic and could potentially result in health concerns. Talia Women's Network distributed dignity packs which comprise of reusable sanitary pads, underwear and basic hygiene products to the girls.

We have attached screenshots from some of the conversations with the girls. The actual videos are available and will be posted as links.

Links:

• Testimonial on how the reusable pads are making a difference...

It's back to school for most learners in Zimbabwe. The declining economic conditions keep presenting new challenges to female learners. As parents struggle to make sure school fees are paid and school requirements are purchased, there is also an increasing need for menstrual hygiene products.

in the 2023 budget, the Government of Zimbabwe allocated US$2.32 million to providing sanitary pads to disadvantaged learners. However, this was a 80% reduction from previous allocations implying that less girls will receive the much needed sanitary pads through the school system.

Talia Women's Network remains committed to ending period poverty and ensuring that menstrual barriers to girl's education are removed. Through the generous support of well wishers, Talia started the year on a positive note, distributing reusable sanitary pads to girls in need. Talia seeks to ensure that all girls have one less thing to worry about in pursuit of their education.

All girls deserve to have total control of their periods. All girls deserve equal access to education opportunities. The recent examination results indicate that girls are excelling far above their male counterparts. This gives us all the more reason to promote girl's education and keep the girls in school.

In addition to distribution of the reusable pads, Talia also addresses harmful cultural and social practices such as child marriages which leave the girls vulnerable. Through community dialogue sessions, communities are being sensitized to fight for the girl's rights to education and independent life choices. A wave of change is sweeping through the communities as more girls are empowered to make better life choices, transforming their lives and their families...

The month of September means 'Back to School' for the learners. In Zimbabwe, September is also the month that the popular Jacaranda trees are in full bloom, beautifying the landscape with their purple flowers. However, to the exam classes, Jacaranda trees signal something else - when the cities are painted purple, it also means exam season is upon us.

With the country going through a really tough economic period, which has seen the prices of all basic commodities increasing - many households are finding it hard to afford day to day living. Parents and guardians were frantically trying to secure school fees to enable the children to go back to school. With so many demands on the scarce resources at household level, it is no surprise that menstrual hygiene products are not a priority in most households, leaving many women and girls in a very vulnerable state.

Talia Women's Network partnered with long time 'Friends of Talia' and held a menstrual hygiene outreach session in Hatcliffe Extension on the outskirts of the capital city, Harare. This is a low income community which was established after some illegal settlements were demolished by the government in a clean up campaign more than ten years ago (Operation Murambatsvina). The community first settled in tents that were provided by UNICEF and are slowly regularising their accommodation and shelter through construction of houses. However, there is still a lot of development that needs to be done in the Hatcliffe community, in terms of basic services (water, electricity) and infrastructure (roads, schools, healthcare facilities).

We spent the morning with eighty-eight (88) girls from this community talking to them about menstrual health and hygiene, sexual reproductive health and rights, and career guidance. The girls expressed a desire to break the cycle of poverty that surrounded most of their families. Most resorted to using old cloths and rags to manage their monthly periods and unfortunately sometimes missed school because of lack of proper hygiene products.

The girls received CHAYIL Reusable Pads and were trained on how to use them effectively. The pads are a safe, hygienic and affordable product. With the pads, the girls have one less thing to worry about, ensuring full attendance at school and more time for study for the upcoming exams.

Talia Women's Network is priviledged to be able to continue in the fight against period poverty and keeping the girls in school.

The month of May is Menstrual Health and Hygiene month and all activities this month sought to bring awareness of the challenges women and girls face in managing their monthly periods. Several campaigns were held, in person and online with the messages that highlighted the need for everyone to play a part in ensuring women and girls ahave adequate menstrual hygiene products and more importantly, keeping the girls in school. We also took to social media to educate women and girls on menstruation, hygiene matters and demystify some of the myths on menstruation which have been spread from generation to generation. Several dialogue sessions were held to stimulate dialogue on a subject once thought of as taboo.

To commemorate Menstrual Hygiene Day, we spent the day with 60 girls and young women from the residential area of Mufakose. This is a low income community where the majority of the families live on less than a dollar a day. The harsh economic environment has further worsened the plight of women and girls. There has been an increase in teen pregnancies and early marriages and the women and girls revealed that they indulge in risky sexual behaviour to earn money for their basic needs, including sanitary wear.

The young women, like Moreblessing, were pleased to receive reusable sanitary pads which can be used for up to 18 months with proper care. She highlighted that sanitary pads were a monthly cause of concern and she worried every time her periods came because she did not have money for pads. The reusable pads, which are washed and reused have given her one less thing to worry about. She can now concentrate on her studies and focus more on her educational attainment.

We remain committed to playing our part in building a world where no one is left behind because they menstruate.