Johannesburg – Good menstrual hygiene management plays a major role in enabling young women and girls to reach their full potential.
The devastating impact of a lack of education and healthy menstrual products is far-reaching for millions of young women on the African continent.
Some young women have to revert to using unhygienic cloths or tissue paper rolls – and even grass in some extreme cases – to deal with the heavy monthly flow of their periods, making them susceptible to infection and disease.
In response to the crisis, Procter and Gamble has put together several programmes such as the “Always Keeping Girls in School” to reach vulnerable girls with essential puberty education, motivation, and pad donations.
The programme, which turns 18 this year, was given a new lease of life at a special event on Thursday during the observation of Menstrual Hygiene Week at the Garden Hotel in North Riding, Johannesburg.
Addressing attendees, Procter and Gamble Southern Africa Communications Manager Cassie Jaganyi said: “The journey towards breaking the stigma around menstrual hygiene and menstrual health has been a long one, and for us as Procter and Gamble it’s something that we feel very strongly, and passionate about”.
Jaganyi added: “To give a little bit of data, today one in three girls on the continent misses school because of their period, and this results in missed educational opportunities, and the reason this is happening is because the girls are not being educated on what’s happening to them.
“So we put together a programme called Always Keeping Girls in School aimed at keeping the girls educated and breaking the stigma around menstrual hygiene.
“The impact of the initiative has been great, reaching over a million girls in the past 10 years during which we’ve donated over 15 million pads.
“So we’re doing our best to play our part to see the eradication of this issue and have the conversation move forward.”
The #BloodSister initiative was created to encourage people to join in the conversation so that it becomes a community effort.
Procter and Gamble Market Strategist Clarissa Harris joined a panel of speakers at the event that included South Africa’s much-loved dance choreographer Bontle Modiselle and Eric Mlambo, founder and CEO of the Footprints Foundation, which runs the Always Keeping Girls in School program.
Explaining the vision behind the initiative, Harris said: “There’re still so many women who don’t have access to menstrual education, and as a collective, we try to give them education in line with the Always Keeping Girls in School initiative which has three core fundamentals”.
Harris added: “Firstly, it’s about providing pads to girls who don’t have access to quality menstrual hygiene products.
“Secondly, it’s about education, which touches on understanding your menstrual cycle and teaching girls and boys about what’s happening.
“It’s a very essential and natural cycle of life. And the third thing will be about breaking those stereotypes and stigma around menstruation.
“So I really think the core is about coming together as a collective, and also about girl-on-girl teachings and getting their voices heard.”
To break the barriers of period poverty, Procter and Gamble extended its commitment by donating R100 000 to five deserving girls on the day to assist with their journey into higher education.
This initiative reflects Procter and Gamble’s dedication to keeping girls in school and investing in their futures.
