BY BETELHEM BEDLU
ADDIS ABABA– There is a need to collaboratively exert utmost efforts to fill the major gap in access to safe menstrual hygiene for women in Ethiopia who are subjected to number of complications, stressed an Official within Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA).
During the celebration of Menstrual Hygiene Day, MoWSA Women Empowerment Sector Director Weynshet Gelesu emphasized that joint effort is required to fill gaps in menstrual products, education and facilities witnessed in the country.
As to World Bank report, over 500 million women and girls globally are troubled with finding hygiene facilities and products to go about their daily lives while menstruating, she noted.
Not only the women and girls are faced with stigma and discrimination but they are also forced to miss out their education and employment which in return limits their potential. Thus, she underlined the importance of filling the legal gaps through collaborative efforts to ensure thata healthier and more hygienic sanitary option.
Organizer of the event as well as Founder of Adey Reusable Pads, Mickal Mamo, on her part stated that lack of access to sanitary pads, high cost, lack of adequate education about menstruation, discrimination and stigma, among others, have created undeniable gap to women’s access to safe menstrual hygiene in the country.
Referring a study, she mentioned that 75% of women and girls in Ethiopia do not have access to safe sanitary products which means 22 million Ethiopian women million either do not have access to sanitary pads or cannot afford it.
“Sanitary pads are pricey as they are imported to the country highly taxed. Similarly, absence of quality as well as quantity of inputs in the country is one of the major challenges. Given its essentiality, the government needs to exempt the tax of imported inputs”, she stressed.
Period poverty needs due attention from both the government and concerned institutions. Thus, such events are vital as it brought both sides together to discuss the challenges and the way forward, as to her.
The Ethiopian Herald June 4/2023
