“Let’s end the hesitation around menstruation” are the words that will be heard across the world on the second annual Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May 2015.
Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) is an awareness platform that works year-round to break taboos and raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for women and adolescent girls. Initiated by WASH United in 2014, order the day has garnered the support of over 230 global partners that are unified in their commitment to make good menstrual health and hygiene a priority worldwide.
Ulemu-Dignity a Cheltenham based Charity, set up in 2013 in response to a request by Mary Shawa, the Permanent Secretary for Gender in Malawi for help getting girls pads so that they could finish their schooling, is delighted to be an official partner of Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Since Dignity’s inception, hundreds of girls in Malawi have received ‘life packs’, 5 year packs of reusable sanitary provision and we are now looking at providing resources to help the villages make their own packs.
However, over nine million African girls suffer from shame and miss nearly a quarter of their education due to lack of menstruation provision. This results in the girls staying at home during their period – with all sorts of consequences for their education, vocation and human rights.
Trying to solve a big problem is overwhelming but Dignity is now partnered with the African Child Trust, GILEP (Girls in Leadership Empowerment Project), Days for Girls, Builders House and Free Range Chicks and is very excited about now being an official partner of Menstrual Hygiene Day, which is helping to raise awareness across the World.
Events are being held all over the world in May and June around Menstrual Hygiene Day. Ulemu-Dignity are holding a conference on 20th June 2015 to discuss how we can restore the dignity of girls and women around the globe not just in Malawi. Exposing these undignified, life stealing issues in education, politics and the community and together becoming a voice for the voiceless.
The Founder of GILEP Veronica Gnoni will be speaking about how she has pioneered for the dignity of girls in Malawi and Ruth Dearnly CEO will be speaking about ‘Being a voice for the voiceless girls trapped’ through being trafficked. There are strong evidential links between lack of menstruation provision and violation.