Helping young girls and women by subsidizing sanitary pads.

 

           We ought to know menstruation is not an Impurity or diseases. It is not an opening to stigmatize a young girl who is still learning and trying to understand how her body works. young girls and women still suffer stigmatization during their menstrual period and in some communities, it is considered a taboo to even talk about it. Menstruation is not a crime !!!

     World Menstruation Health day is being observed annually in Cameroon on the 28th of May. On this day, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and girls ask the government to either subsidize sanitary pads or provide them for free as they already do with condoms on World AIDS Day.

Scotland is the first country to offer period products free of charge on a national scale. Other countries include New zealand and Kenya who distribute these products for free in public schools.

Here in Cameroon, the case is different. We acknowledge the efforts of the government but wish and beg they do more for us the girls because the prices of sanitary pads keep rising. Let our voices be heard.

                   Campaign launched by 5 youth led  NGOs.

Let’s take a look at this photo below. 

          Yeah... really funny huh? Some will say it’s better to get pregnant because right now it’s very difficult to afford a sanitary pad. Others will say they prefer buying baby diapers for a hundred francs and dividing into 3, have 3 pads. I remember very well when pad was still 500FCFA. No idea if it was cheaper before I became an adult 😉. Right now you can’t afford one if you don’t have 600 to 700FCFA. This can look so trivial but trust me, it’s slowly driving our girls into early pregnancy. Some will go for less costly things that will cause complications like menstrual bite and then you will hear the community people say “ it’ll stop immediately she gives birth” still putting the idea of early pregnancy in the minds of our young girls.

     Let me tell you a little story. I once had a friend her name not to be disclosed. She would complain about not being able to afford sanitary pads still at 500FCFA. I understood her condition and would share mine with her till one day she came to me. It was on a Thursday afternoon 2016 when she cried bitterly feeling too dependent. She wished she was a boy and felt getting pregnant was a solution not knowing greater expenditure lies ahead. My friend as you read this, I love you. ❤️

        It is really disheartening when people out there who are supposed to speak out are instead making fun of the current increase in the price of sanitary pads. Menstruation is our right as girls, it is not a crime!!! We don’t choose for it to happen, we are proud to be girls and we are proud of our periods. I know just like my friend there are a thousand more who can’t afford pad every month especially as the price keep rising.

      Now let’s do it this way. what if there was a subsidy on Sanitary pads? what if they should cost less than 500FCFA? Like what if pregnancy wasn’t the solution? and what if, just what if you joined your voice to the voices of others to help bring about a change. Everyday we advocate for girls rights, we sing about their rights as girls, now I write for both girls and women. Menstruation is one of their rights let’s help make it less of a crime or punishment. 

     Every year a girl spends approximately 8400FCFA on pads. I know there are so many out there who feel the same way I do and will speak if given a chance. We therefore plead on our government to help make the lives of her girl children better, help put a smiles on our faces, help make us proud of our menstrual cycle by at least subsidizing sanitary pads. I write with one pen yes, yet not as a person but as a voice for all girls and women. 

     Among all things sanitary pads shouldn’t be having an increase in price every now and then. It has made so many young girls turn to reusable pads of which some can’t maintain proper hygiene. Some with 5 days flow even try to manage a pack of ten pads for two months. How terrible!😣. When I asked a girl (anonymous) if she was facing a similar problem she told me with her heavy flow, she is forced to use one pad for over 6 hours before having a change just to manage what she has.

      Like should it really be this way? If only you knew the internal damage caused by wearing a pad for more than 5 hours (depending on your flow) you will join your voice to ours and plead for a subsidy on sanitary pads. 

      Do not say I write too much 😊. Here is what happens when you wear a pad for a long time. According to health line media, trapped moisture provides a breading ground for bacteria 🦠 and fungus. Keeping it on for too long can lead to a yeast infection amongst others. A damp pad and friction is also likely to cause irritation. 

        Girls and women speak for yourselves, parents speak for your children, brothers speak for your sisters and husbands 🥰 why not speak for your wives so our voices will be enough to be heard as we plead on a subsidy on pads for a better and healthy life of THE girl child. 

#Iamblanche

#Subsidyonsanitarypads

#Menstruationisnotacrime