-50 Adolescent Girls trained on menstrual Hygiene practice
Over fifty adolescent girls have benefited from a one-day symposium on menstrual hygiene practice as well as negative public perceptions affecting women during menstruation.
The event was celebrated under the theme “Mensuration is NOT A TABOO, LET’S TALK ABOUT IT”. It brought together teen-age girls from the junior and senior high divisions of the Manson Center High School on the Old Road.
The one day event was organized by the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) with support from OXFAM Liberia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
At the event, OXFAM Gender Justice Consultant, Lisa Kndervater Sieh said menstruation is a natural occurrence in all women and that girls need not to be afraid, embarrass or deprive from being educated about the preparatory stage of menstruation and how to care for their bodies during such time.
She mentioned that menstruation is a taboo in most African Countries; on the other hand according to her, Liberian girls are privilege that this mattert can be discussed openly.
Mrs. Sieh said although there are still some negative traits about females experiencing limited access to sanitary menstrual hygiene materials, the condition needs to improve to enable women and girls have quality information to end discriminatory practices.
She encouraged the girls not to be ashamed of menstruation because, it is a God given right and is natural to experience and talk about it in order to bridge menstrual myth, taboo and stigmatization.
WONGOSOL, the Women NGO Secretariat run a project titled: “Promoting Access to Justice, Human Rights and Ending Discrimination Against Women And Girls.”
Madam Berttee Forkpabio, WONGOSOL’s Project Officer said the program is aimed at providing information to prepare the teenage girls from falling prey to cultural and societal misbelieves about menstruation.
“Most parents in Liberia have failed to educate their girls about the naturalness of their menstrual cycle due to the culture- of-silence. This is wrong, it is the right of all teenage girls to be fully aware of their body development,” Madam Forkpabio said.
Madam Forkpabio noted that poor management of menstrual hygiene leads to more girls contracting infections that can lead to different diseases.
If not treated, she warned that this could hinder girl’s reproductive rights or stop them from having children.
According to her, the Funding from OXFAM through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands is going to work with women and girls in Montserrado, Sinoe and Grand Gedeh, to build capacity and ensure that Sexual Gender Base Violence –SGBV especially rape be reduce.
They hope that this create advocacy and engage the 54th legislature for the full law of the Domestic Violence law be enacted as a national law for women and girls.
For her part, Joan K. Dalton Gender-Focus Person of THINK Liberia, urges teenagers to be glade to know their menstrual cycle, because it’s designed by God and is the gateway to womanhood.
Among other things, she spoke about menstrual signs and symptoms, kinds of food needed to be consume during their monthly period as well as the importance to having sufficient body rest.
Madam Dalton also said stigma and lack of awareness about menstruation are some sad-events on women and girls in some cultural or religious area.
She however stressed that this can be avoided only if they are focused and study their menstruation circle.
Meanwhile, the students thanked WONGOSOL and partners for decision to allow their school participate in this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
At the close of the program, participants said the exercise has strengthen them so that they can overcome the negative cultural myths and Stigma, which at times make them not want to attend classes menstruating. Report by Mark N. Mengonfia