#EndPeriodPoverty for Girls in Rural Zimbabwe

The choice of sanitary wear is very much a personal decision based on cultural acceptability. It is often influenced by a girl's encironment and access to funds, water supply and affordable options. The vast majority of girls living in the rural areas in Zimbabwe use cloth or rags instead of sanitary towels or pads. Menstrual hygiene management remains a daunting challenge in the lives of many of these girls. The global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a national lockdown and closure of schools since Marcg 2020. The school closures meant there were growing challenges in accessing menstrual hygiene products, especially for vulnerable girls. Theeconomic hardships the country is facing have led to many households deprioritising menstrual hygiene products in their budgets, leaving the girls to use unhygienic alternatives to manage their blood flow. Many school learners rely on the school system for access to menstrual hygiene products - female teachers are the first point of call when a girl has an 'accident' and have to keep supplies of pads, which are usually sourced out of the teacher's personal resources. The impact of school closures due to COVID-19 has resulted in desperation for the girls as they do not have menstrual hygiene products to help them manage their periods.

Talia Women's Network has been on a community outreach drive to reach vulnerable girls in their communities with menstrual health and hygiene education and distribution of dignity packs which consist of reusable sanitary pads, underwear and basic hygiene products. In August and September 2020, 186 girls from Epworth, Kuwadzana, Mashambanhaka and Masembura communities were reached. Through the outreach programs, Talia Women's Network increased accessibility of menstrual hygiene products to vulnerable girls. Seeing that the schools were still closed, Talia Women's Network held a community dialogue session with village health workers at Muonwe Clinic in Mashonaland Central Province to understand the issues girls in the community were facing. The village health workers received training on women and youth-friendly healthcare services and were given supplies of reusable sanitary pads to distribute to vulnerable girls in the community. Through our interventions, girls like 16 year old Shamiso, do not have to worry about managing their monthly periods. They are less anxious about the future and no longer have to resort to using cloths and old cloths which was frustrating because of the lack of comfort and poor absoption. Shamiso is more confident in life, no longer feels unsafe and is no longer disgusted with her body.