MENSTRUAL HYGIENE
Published On May 30, 2019 » 3528 Views» By Times Reporter » Latest News
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By REBECCA MUSHOTA
Stakeholders have called on Government to take measures to improve
sanitation and reduce the cost of sanitary wear in order to improve
the percentage of women with access to proper menstrual care from the
current 19 per cent.
As the world commemorated Menstrual Hygiene Day yesterday, the high
cost of sanitary wear and the lack of access to water were cited as on
one the hindrances to proper menstrual hygiene care.
Water Aid country director Pamela Chisanga said only 19 per cent of
women in Zambia had access to proper menstrual  care.
“In Zambia, the statistics show that only 19 per cent have access to
proper menstrual care,” Ms Chisanga said in an interview yesterday.
She said it was important that more was done to improve the access by
improving sanitation and reducing the cost of  sanitary wear.
The Zambia Orphans Aid said in a statement that many girls missed
school due to lack of pads or tampons.
The organisation said there was need to reduce the cost of sanitary
wear in order to make them more accessible.
Meanwhile Zambia is one of the six countries in the world to provide
days off work for women because of menstruation.
According to News18 of the United Kingdom, Zambia is one of the
countries that recognise that women required a day in a month to help
relieve the pain and discomfort of menstruation.
The news site said that in Zambia, a woman could take a day off work
without providing reasons.
Other countries are Japan which give a day off for physiological care
and Indonesia that provides two days in a month for menstrual care.
Taiwan provides three days in a year for menstrual care while South
Korea provides for a day in a month and pays women who do not take
those days off.
China also has a day off for menstrual care.

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