In response to the alarming rate at which young girls in Uganda’s rural areas are dropping out of school during their menstrual cycles because of sanitary pad affordability and bullying from male students, Wii Tuke is promoting an initiative called “The Menstrual Voice” (MVoice) that targets both schoolgirls and the larger community.
Rebecca Achom Adile, Wii Tuke Executive Director, said they started the campaign early this year to instill pride and ensure that girls don’t drop out of school. In addition, during campaigns and school visits, they engage boys about supporting girls’ education.
According to Achom, the MVoice campaign does not only stop at cultivating community support for menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and encouraging girls to take pride in themselves during their menstrual cycles, but also empowers the girls by teaching them how to make reusable sanitary towels. These can last for one year, are made using local materials, and are more cost-effective than the expensive pads sold at the market.
“The most important thing, above all, is empowering these girls to be self-reliant. You know, many men have also taken advantage of the young rural girls in the name of buying for them sanitary pads, clothes and lotions, so the target is to first ensure they are empowered and able to make these pads themselves,” Achom said.