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Time to end the degrading culture of period shaming

Menstruation

Statistics indicate 65 per cent of Kenyan women do not have access to sanitary products. 

Photo credit: Fotosearch

In many cultures, including communities across Africa, menstruation is a shameful event. While it is natural, a mark of femininity and necessary for the continuation of human life, many women are still ridiculed and shamed.

Statistics indicate 65 per cent of Kenyan women do not have access to sanitary products.  It can, therefore, be inferred that this proportion of the population is susceptible to period shaming.

Period shaming can be defined as the social stigma and discrimination that women experience due to menstruation. It contributes to a broader culture of sexism and discrimination against women, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and reinforcing gender inequality.  This degrading violation of women’s rights reveals how far Kenya is yet to go in protecting reproductive health rights.

Recently, many were left dumbfounded when managers of a company were accused of forcing female staff members to strip down to their underwear, to determine which one of them was on her period after a sanitary product was disposed of in the wrong bin. The matter is now in court while the company also committed to investigate.

“Maputo@20’’ celebration

This incident happens in the wake of the “Maputo@20’’ celebration, which was hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 11. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol, is a regional instrument that guarantees extensive rights to African women and girls. It ncludes progressive provisions on harmful traditional practices, and reproductive health and rights. Kenya having ratified the protocol, though with reservations, ought to subscribe to its provisions to protect women’s basic rights, including menstrual rights.

Although in the recent incident the company’s response was appropriate in the circumstances, one is left to wonder about the integrity of the disciplinary process and its impact on the women who have had to face humiliation. Period shaming can have irreparable repercussions on its victims including depression, reducing the quality of life and diminished social status. Sadly, this is not the first period shaming incident that has come to the public eye in Kenya. In 2019, a 14-year-old girl killed herself after a teacher reportedly shamed her when she stained her uniform during her first period.

Period stigma

Negative remarks about menstruation, inability to acknowledge that one is on her period and even hiding menstruation products only demonstrate how deeply rooted period stigma is.

The Kenyan government has made laudable steps towards ensuring that there are policies to guide on menstrual health and hygiene. However, further action needs to be taken to not only provide access to products but also ensure access to information to communities. Information will raise awareness about menstrual health and hygiene. Implementing comprehensive educational programmes that challenge menstrual taboos, promote menstrual health and hygiene, will foster understanding and empathy among students, teachers, and the public. These campaigns can aim to dismantle stereotypes, reduce stigma, and promote positive attitudes towards menstruation.

Creating a comprehensive multi-sectoral approach to menstrual health that is grounded in human rights will ensure reproductive rights. Involving the private sector actors, including corporations and media outlets, to promote responsible and inclusive messaging around menstruation will also help address period shaming.

Encouraging media campaigns that challenge stereotypes, support positive representations of menstruation, and raise awareness about period shaming can help shift societal perceptions. Further, working with civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations that specialise in menstrual health and advocacy will allow the government to leverage their expertise, share best practices, and implement effective strategies to combat period shaming.

The writer is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and reproductive health rights expert.