First Lady takes menstrual hygiene initiative to Reg 2

The Office of the First Lady of Guyana, in collaboration with the Education Ministry, on Friday launched the menstrual hygiene initiative in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). Through this initiative, sanitary napkins would be made accessible to women and girls free of cost.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the Anna Regina Multilateral School, First Lady Arya Ali explained that the initiative is an extension of the effort made by her office to empower girls and make them feel confident about themselves. It begins with the provision of sanitary napkins to each secondary school female.
The First Lady related that no girl should be forced to leave school because she does not have access to sanitary products. She noted that menstrual hygiene is not a privilege, but a basic human right.
She also pointed out that during a survey that was conducted, approximately 800 million young ladies were forced to skip classes until their monthly menstrual cycle was over, or drop out of school permanently because of their inability to purchase sanitary napkins.

“Last year, when I heard that girls were forced to skip school and, in some instances, drop out permanently because they could not afford sanitary products, my heart broke. This is unacceptable. No girl should be placed in a situation in which she is forced to be absent from, or quit, school because of her inability to afford sanitary products,” the First Lady declared.
To bring an end to this undesirable plight, the First Lady believes there must first be an end to the denial of period poverty, after which conversations around women’s health must be normalised, even in spaces occupied only by men.
She said girls must also disabuse themselves of the idea that menstruation is exclusively a female concern.
“You girls are our future Policewomen, lawyers, doctors, and even our future leaders; and at no point your lives should be changed because of period poverty… After today, period poverty will not be present in Essequibo, and I will work along with the entire country to eliminate such a crisis.”
Education Minister Priya Manickchand lauded the First Lady for beginning what she hopes would be a national conversation with effective solutions.
She said the Education Ministry will be working closely with the Office of the First Lady to have the sanitary napkins distributed to girls via the public schools, and reflected on the taboo nature of the conversation in and around period and menstrual health.
Meanwhile, Region Two Chairwoman Vilma De Silva lauded the initiative being promoted by the First Lady, and said it would have a positive impact on young ladies’ lives.
De Silva noted that the initiative would provide female students with the confidence that there would always be sanitary products at their disposal.