Bulawayo woman awarded for fighting period poverty

ANITTA Neshiri’s passion, purpose, and unwavering drive to transform the lives of young women across Zimbabwe have been recognised with a coveted continental award, solidifying her position as a leading champion for women’s empowerment and a role model for young Africans.

Neshiri received a Humanitarian Award at the recently held Visionary African Women Summit held in Rwanda’s city of Kigali. The event was held under the theme: “Empowerment through Unity: Impact for Sustainable Development.”

“The visionary organisation identifies and locates women who are doing visible impacts in Africa. They reached out to me to let me know that I was among the selected women across Africa to receive a humanitarian award for the things I do for young girls in Zimbabwe. It was my first time to attend the summit. This is a recognition award to women who are doing great in the continent towards reaching sustainable development,” said Neshiri.

Neshiri’s journey began in Bulawayo, where she was born and raised. Here, she witnessed first-hand the limitations imposed on young girls and women. The lack of economic opportunities and inadequate period support mechanisms often meant limited access to education.

Period poverty, in particular, struck a chord with the 29-year-old. She saw how it forced girls to miss school, use unhygienic materials and suffer in silence due to the stigma surrounding menstruation. Determined to make a difference, Neshiri founded “Girl Talk Zimbabwe” with a bold vision — to create a society where women and girls are valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Neshiri’s project, “Pad Drive,” works tirelessly to end period poverty for young girls in her community. With the help of directors Sithandiwe Ncube and Tracy Ndlovu, they provide free sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene education.

This has already had a significant impact, with hundreds of girls receiving the support they need to stay in school, maintain their dignity and break free from the shackles of period poverty. Neshiri’s team of volunteers and partners play a crucial role in distributing pads, providing education, and challenging the stigma surrounding menstruation.

Their pad donation drive has reached schools in Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, and most recently, Bulawayo’s Mzilikazi High School. With another distribution planned for July, they are currently selecting the next beneficiary school and province.

“Our project at the moment is the biggest, ‘pads drive zw’, is an initiative that seeks to eradicate period poverty through providing young girls with high quality sanitary products hence keeping our girls at school.

“We do not just donate pads but we also leave young girls with unforgettable experiences of empowerment by boosting their self-esteem,” said Neshiri.

She said the programme seeks to empower young girls to stand up for themselves and be exemplary individuals in their communities.

“My vision is to build strong resilient girls that can be future leaders of tomorrow. We want girls to be educated and empowered and take up leadership roles in the community,” she said. — @mthabisi_mthire