Too Poor For Periods: How lack of menstrual products is keeping girls out of school

Many girls and women who live in Kenya, especially in rural areas like Nakuru County, encounter serious barriers with their education due to the lack of access to safe sustainable menstrual products, sanitary disposal bins and money to afford them.

Kenya

The map above shows the average cost of having a period around the world. A period in Kenya cost on average $4.33, but the average Kenyan lives on just $2.50 per day. For many girls living in poverty in rural Kenya, periods products are simply unaffordable, leading to girls missing school over their periods.

What Does Lack Of Access Really Mean To Kenyan Girls?

95% of menstruating girls miss 1 to 3 days of school per month
1 million school girls miss an average of 4 days of school per month due to period poverty
42% of girls have never used sanitary pads or products
Only 32% of girls in rural places in Kenya have a private place to change their menstrual products
Female students miss on average of 20% of the school year due to menstruation
65% out of the 27 million women in Kenya cannot afford menstrual products
2 out 3 girls who use pads receive menstrual products from transactional sex
Only 12% of girls feel comfortable talking about their period with their mother

Without access to menstrual products like tampons, pads and other hygiene products, sanitary disposal bins and clean water to take care of their flow during school hours, managing hygiene during a girl’s period is extremely difficult in Kenya. Forcing girls to stay at home and miss school on their period to avoid the stigma around menstruation, staining their uniform, and being ridiculed.

When girls don’t have access to menstrual products, it forces them to turn to unsafe practices like:

Exchange sex for money to afford menstrual products (Increases chances of pregnancy and STIs)
Risk their health by using unsafe sanitary products like feathers, mattress, and leaves
Skip school monthly during their cycle

No girl should feel ashamed of her period, or miss school because of it.

How Does Missing School Affect Female Education?

Missing just 2- 4 days of school every menstrual cycle means girls in Kenya fall behind in their curriculum and classwork.

Over time it leads to:

lower grades
Increase risk of dropping out
Increase Failure rate in classes
Difficulty keeping up with fellow classmates

According to a 2017 study in Kenya by the World Bank:

70% of girls said they face negative impacts towards their grades because of period poverty
50% reported falling behind in class due to menstrual related absences

How Can This Problem Be Solved?

Donate Menstrual Products

People can donate unopened pads and other menstrual products to charities and women-led organizations in Kenya to provide schools, shelters, health clinics with free menstrual products to help girls get access to menstrual products and help with menstrual equality.

Teach Educational Workshops / Seminars

Local women help groups and charities can host workshops and seminars at schools, churches, and community centers to teach and empower girls about their bodies, how to manage their period safely and answer and debunked popular myths around menstruation.

Raise Awareness About Period Poverty In Kenya

People around the world can use news outlets, social media, and local radio stations to raise awareness about period poverty in Kenya and normalizing periods, ensuring no girl has to choose between her period or going to school .

Government Support

The Kenyan government can remove the pink tax on women’s menstrual products, build more sanitary disposal bins and private spaces for girls to change menstrual products, and provide free menstrual products in schools, community centers, churches and other safe locations for girls and women who can't afford them.

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