Bulawayo City Council moves to encourage girl child to take up spaces of influence in school

MORE than 4 000 girls and young women in schools received adolescent sanitary wear from Bulawayo City Council, a move set to boost their confidence so that they actively take up spaces of influence and contribute meaningfully in school without any barriers.

The programme, which started in October last year, falls under the local authority’s gender-responsive budgeting also seeks to reduce stigma and period poverty which has a significant impact on young girls who often have to resort to using unhygienic alternatives.

According to the 2023 National Gender Responsive Budget Statement, a gender-responsive budget responds to the needs, problems, aspirations and experiences of men and women including people with disabilities.

The goal of the same budget is to realise gender justice and equality.

“The process involves undertaking a gender analysis to identify existing gender gaps; the impact of public expenditures and revenue-raising on gender, particularly on women and girls. It also incorporates a gender perspective at all levels of the budgetary process and restructuring revenues and expenditures to promote gender equality.

“In addition to the promotion of gender equality, the approach also promotes accountability and transparency, sustainable and inclusive growth, when fiscal policies and administrative procedures are structured to address gender inequality.”

Last year, the local authority distributed 2 916 packets of sanitary pads to 30 primary schools and one secondary school.

This year, the council distributed 1 561 packets of pads to 30 primary schools and one secondary school in the city in the second quarter while 3 000 packets have been procured for distribution in the first quarter of 2024.

BCC Corporate Communications manager Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said the sanitary pads distribution programme started after the City of Bulawayo conducted a survey on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

“The survey noted that several girls have little and or zero access to sanitary wear (10-18 years), which in turn has a negative impact on the attainment of quality education for the girl child in Bulawayo.

“The City of Bulawayo’s vision is to be a leading smart transformative City by 2024, therefore the city conducts regular risks assessments in Council schools and beyond to ensure a safe, conducive learning environment for the girl child,” said Mrs Mpofu.

“The findings informed council’s programming as far as creating awareness on the importance of gender and disability mainstreaming. This is in line with the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3 of Good Health and Well Being, SDG 5 of Gender Equality and SDG 6 of Clean Water and Sanitation.”

Mrs Mpofu said to date, the council has distributed 4 477 packets of sanitary pads to schools.

“The programme has assisted more than 4 000 girls and has the potential to empower adolescent girls and young women so that they actively take up spaces of influence and contribute meaningfully in school without any barriers.

“The programme has also reduced stigma and period poverty which has a significant impact on young girls who often have to resort to using unhygienic alternatives,” said Mrs Mpofu.

“This is evident by the enrolment in schools where both young boys and girls are given the opportunity to learn and be enrolled fairly without discrimination. To date, a total of 44 598 pupils comprised of 22 217 girls and 22 393 boys are enrolled in Council Primary schools.”

Mrs Mpofu said from the council’s risk assessment, it was noted that 6 000 girls in council schools, as of June 2023, are in need of sanitary pads every month.

“As a result, the programme intends to increase the number of pads so as to accommodate every girl child in need of sanitary wear,” she said.

“The City of Bulawayo collaborates with various stakeholders in gender and disability mainstreaming. Plans have been put in place to identify and engage possible stakeholders to contribute and or support to the cause of promoting proper menstrual hygiene in Council schools.”

The Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Mr Gabriel Masvora, said gender responsive budgeting is a key factor that all local authorities must abide to.

“As the ministry is in the process of scrutinising and approving local authorities’ budgets, one of the aspects that is under consideration is to check if the budgets are gender responsive,” he said.

“We also work with various partners to ensure that not only are the budgets gender responsive but programmes that reflect gender responsiveness by local authorities are implemented on the ground.”

Gender Links Zimbabwe country director Ms Priscilla Maphosa commended BCC for the initiative.

“This is a big step taken by BCC and as a council, they are going to lead other councils on sexual reproductive health and rights.

Sanitary wear in the country is still expensive and not every girl is able to access it so we really commend BCC for this initiative,” said Ms Maphosa.

She said the initiative also helps in instilling confidence in the girl child and allows them to attend school.

“In some cases, girls are forced to miss school when they are on their period but this will boost their attendance and improve their marks in school,” said Ms Maphosa.

Gender activist Ms Patience Phiri said contrary to popular belief that period poverty is rife in rural areas, urban areas also face the same problem.

She said more needs to be done in coming up with women-friendly budgets to eradicate period poverty.

“While we appreciate what the BCC is doing, we need to do more, we need to have budgets that are women-friendly. We need our legislators to push for more so that the issue of period poverty is addressed,” said Ms Phiri.

She said the distribution of the sanitary pads needs to be done in a dignified manner.

“We need pad dispensers so that we also maintain the integrity and privacy of a girl child so that they can walk tall with their head held high,” said Ms Phiri.

“The period also requires other things like underwear, panty liners and access to soap and clean water.”