Menstruation : No to Menstrual Stigmatisation 😭

Good evening Everyone!

Sharing a story of one young girl to help us sensitize not only the young girls but everyone in our community. She was sent to go and live with her aunt, when she had her first period and not knowing what to do, she told her aunt with all confidence. Unfortunately for her, her aunt instead started accusing her of having slept with boys and that the act provoked the menstrual flow. The aunt become so embittered and refused to give her money to buy pad. She instead told her to go to the stream and wash her flow until it stopped. The innocent girl went to the stream and kept washing it but it never stopped. She came back home and told her aunt, she gave her a snake beating and drove her to go and meet the boy she slept with which caused the menstrual flow. With the blood stain all over her skirt and not knowing what to do, she became frustrated and so down cast. Fortunately for her, one of their neighbors saw her and help got some pad for her and instructed her on how to use it. She then took her back to their house and pleaded with her aunt to understand she was just young and innocent and to allow her in the house instead of accusing and chasing her out of the house. Her aunt eventually let her in but the trauma of it all is what keeps haunting her up till date. That is how this little girl narrated her story.

We can end menstruation stigma by:

Avoid using code names for periods, like “Aunt Flo.”, month end, woman palava, etc

Advocate for improved access to sanitation products.

Fighting back against period discrimination and shaming.

-Talk about periods openly

- Advocate for improved access to sanitation products.

- Push for period friendly polocies at workplace and schools.

From experience, most parents feel embarrassed talking about menses and sex education in general with their children.

Menstruation is a healthy and natural part of the reproductive cycle, yet many children and adolescents in some regions experience both period stigma and period poverty (not having access to safe, hygienic, menstrual products) during their life. Misinformation and lack of basic knowledge lead to girls being out of school during their period or makes children and adolescents feel ashamed for bleeding.

*Dr Tumasang Swirri Foundation believes in ending period stigma through changing social norms and behaviours and by ensuring every child’s access to knowledge and information about menstruation.**

Every child should know what a period is and how the cycle works in order to feel normal and secure in their own body. The possibility to keep good menstrual health and hygiene is a core part of dignity and prosperity for children in Cameroon and is manifested in several human rights, such as the right to live in dignity, the right to health and the right to bodily autonomy.

In some regions of Cameroon, menstration may directly impact children’s education as menstruating children may be reluctant to go to school because of stigma and inadequate sanitary facilities. *Learning about menstruation and creating safe spaces to have conversations and exchange knowledge is a crucial aspect to empower,* build self-esteem and end period stigma.

Since 2014, there has been increased numbers of governments, NGO’s and UN agencies working on menstruation education.

In addition, to this *Dr Tumasang Swirri Foundation* stresses the importance to increase sex education and calls upon governmental partners to advance and institutionalize sex education in schools for every child.

The global issue of period poverty increases in times of humanitarian need and emergency. In the somes region, thousands of children lack access to safe water supply services and three out of ten households do not have a basic handwashing facility. With the high numbers of internally displaced people in cameroon today or people living in need of humanitarian assistance without access to adequate facilities and supplies in the region for managing their menstrual health, ending period poverty is crucial. To combat period poverty there is a need to ensure adequate access to affordable menstrual protection products, knowledge on the natural body cycle as well as establishing supportive social norms to discuss menstruation issues without the fear of being silenced or shamed. As menstruation is a natural dimension of the humanitarian response, *Dr Tumasang Swirri Foundation stresses the importance to address the specific needs of menstruating children in emergencies.*

*Notomenstrualstigmatization*❗❗❗