Chronicle Editor
Michelle Nyanzira, Chronicle Reporter
A LOCAL organisation, Inspire Women, Men and Children yesterday hosted a reusable pad making workshop at Pelandaba Skills Centre to mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
The organisation is a registered charity in the UK and a trust that was established in 2014 with the aim of relieving poverty and improving the lives of disadvantaged women, men and children in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom.
May 28 was chosen to commemorate the day because the menstrual cycle for most women takes 28 days to finish and the menstrual phase for most women lasts for five days.
The organisation celebrated this year’s theme, “Step Up Action and Investment in Menstrual Hygiene Now” with like minded entities that fight to better the lives of girls and women.
Project Manager at Inspire Women, Men and Children Foundation Mrs Gift Muteletwa said World Menstrual Hygiene Day is an essential day dedicated to organisations who are concerned about menstrual hygiene so that they speed up advocacy and action towards a world where women and girls are no longer limited because of their periods.
“We are celebrating this day so as to raise awareness about the challenges women and girls face due to menstruation and to highlight solutions that address these challenges,” said Mrs Muteletwa.
“I am proud of everyone who is attending this event as we work together to help women get proper menstrual products to decrease their vulnerability to reproductive tract infections.
“The theme for the global celebration is ‘We need to step up action and investment in Menstrual Hygiene now’ and the hashtag is #ItsTimeForAction. We also have this event running under the theme ‘Periods Don’t Stop for Pandemics’ considering that we are in the Covid-19 era which has disrupted the way of life for many,” said Mrs Muteletwa.
She said 72 percent of menstruating school girls in Zimbabwe cannot afford sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene affects about 25 percent of the global population aged between 15 and 49.
Mrs Muteletwa said on average rural school girls in Zimbabwe miss 5 days of school and only working together can end the trend.
She said she appreciated men who are spearheading the reusable sanitary pads project.
Inspire Women, Men and Children chief trainer for reusable pads Ms Lindiwe Maseko said women and girls gain a skill and use it at home as the pads are comfortable and perfume free. This skill can help them to generate income.-@michieroxy
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