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Andile Tshuma

WOMEN’S monthly periods are now costing them so much more than the pain of menstrual cramps. The stigma that comes with the topic plus the ever-rising cost of sanitary wear are putting a strain on women.

Having a period is a hefty cost and it doesn’t include the cost of the regular doctor’s exams to keep your birth control prescription up to date and your reproductive health in check.

This week, prices of pads ranged between $95 and $140 for a pack of 10 regular pads. On average, one needs a pack or a pack and a half to go through a three to seven day cycle, which is regarded as normal.

Cotton wool was going for about $350 for a 250 gram pack, and less for smaller packages.

Sadly, not all women can afford these prices.

This has previously led to some girls missing school due to lack of resources to manage their menstrual health. This is worrying as schools are set to reopen this month after a long Covid-19 induced closure.

A girl who is absent from school due to menstruation for four days every month loses at least 40 learning days, the equivalent of six weeks of learning, per year. It’s like not going to school for half a school term. Equity in education can therefore not be achieved under such a scenario.

Despite the Government having scrapped duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) on sanitary wear to make it available and to promote hygiene for women, the price of pads remains beyond the reach of many women and girls, with rural women and girls worst affected due to a number of factors.

In Zimbabwe, about 72 percent of menstruating rural primary school girls do not use sanitary pads.

The transition into womanhood is not easy as many girls are afraid to ask for money from their parents or guardians.

On average, a woman has her period running from three to seven days and the average woman menstruates from age 13 until age 51. That means the average woman endures 456 periods over 38 years.

Some have advocated for the uptake of reusable pads which are much cheaper in the long run, however, these also come with their own challenges.

Reusable pads require extra effort of hygiene and were a burden to women with disabilities, especially those with visual impairments.

The water crisis did not make things easier either, going for five days a week without water in Bulawayo meant that reusable pads were just not an option as they require a lot of water to wash and keep them clean.

Covid-19 lockdowns and the closure of schools worsened the situation as some school girls relied on getting sanitary wear from schools. When girls were not going to school, it meant that they had to source sanitary pads or cotton wool on their own. For most of them, families could not afford, therefore they had to use whatever was available, which was not always safe.

It is not just the girls and women who benefit from having proper menstrual hygiene, the broader society and national economies can profit from better menstruation management. Therefore women’s sexual and reproductive health is not just a women’s issue but is a societal one.

Period poverty is undoubtedly a serious issue for girls and women on low incomes and the use of unhygienic material in place of sanitary pads by the girl child is therefore a cause for concern.

The high cost of sanitary wear is infringing on women’s sexual reproductive health rights.

Women and girls have the right to identify their own health needs, to access appropriate health technologies, and to effectively manage their health conditions including seeking health services and professional help when necessary.

This right is denied when the appropriate menstrual hygiene products are not provided.

There are multiple health risks associated with the use of unhygienic products during menstruation.

Poor management of menstrual hygiene can lead to increased susceptibility to infections, bad odour of menstrual blood due to infrequent change of cloth, a painful period and discomfort.

There are some women who are blessed with a one-day, hardly-feel-it period but if you don’t find yourself in that fortunate category then periods can be painful, embarrassing and expensive.

Menstruation is a natural and essential part of the reproductive cycle but too often, it is shrouded in mystery leading to exclusion, neglect and discrimination.

Research carried out by some organisations and individuals shows that some girls resort to using unhygienic alternatives such as newspapers, rags, leaves, tissue paper and cow dung, among others because they cannot afford sanitary pads or tampons.

Prices of basic commodities continue to skyrocket in shops and one would think that retailers are in some competition to have the highest prices of certain products.

Most families have been forced to do away with luxury items due to the prices madness which has also affected sanitary wear.

I remember at some point, one could get a pack of sanitary towels for just below a dollar but I have not seen a packet that costs less than $95 in recent weeks. Bearing in mind that when it was that one dollar, it was still beyond the reach of some women I can only imagine the stress that women go through now as their menstrual days draw near. I think these are things that should be made available free of charge because nobody chose to be a woman first and menstruation is just a biological process and reality and not a choice.

Access to sanitary wear remains a huge challenge in Zimbabwe with many women resorting to unorthodox material during their menstrual cycles. Rural girls are the most affected and they miss out on school every month to attend to the process.

Many young girls and women develop rashes, infections and sometimes life-long reproductive health issues because they are forced to improvise and cannot afford sanitary products.

A Government survey done in 2016 established that 20 percent of girls miss school due to period pain while 62 percent miss school due to lack of pads and 26 percent stay home because of heavy flows during menstruation. — @andile_tshuma