COMMENT: Let us support women to menstruate with dignity

COMMENT | Judith Hope Kiconco | Ladies, can you remember of a time you got on your period out of home only to realise, you had not carried any pads? Or for women that experience a heavy flow during periods that you quickly run through what you had carried from home and realized, oh oh I need another pad? There is a panic that comes with this experience followed by trying to get to the next woman to see if they have pads and would be kind to help you with one.

From what I have witnessed, this happens at workplaces, during conferences, while on trips etc. Often you will be lucky to realise you need a pad before your outer wear is stained but others may be oblivious only to be notified of the stain by someone else or getting off a seat and realizing the stain on a seat.

Thankfully, with increased awareness and understanding by both women and men, the period shaming has reduced and often the above-mentioned incidents are not met with utter disgust as it was in the past. However, even with this, it’s not often discussed but the discomfort and distress that ladies experience upon learning they are on their period in a public place and have not carried pads has far reaching consequences than we can imagine.

Some people will say but why not plan well or should it not be obvious to always have pads on you? We are human and at times we forget, or you will switch bags and realise much later you didn’t transfer everything to the different bag so no pads and other scenarios I mentioned earlier.

Now, what if employers, or public places like hotels, nightclubs put pads in ladies’ toilets to cater for such emergence situations! It would make all the difference.

I noticed this recently when I went for Sunday morning prayers at Worship Harvest Church Naalya and was astounded to find pads on the window seal of the toilet. Out of curiosity, I asked the young lady who was on standby to ensure the hygiene of the place if the pads were for our use. She said they were, and this made me so happy that the management had thought of that gesture.

This is what prompted this thought and wondering why this is not a practice that can be adopted by more places. I am sure that this is something that would make many women happy because in case one hasn’t experienced that in no moment, they likely know someone who did and likely didn’t have a good experience.

Recently, while in a hospital waiting area a young corporate lady beautifully dressed stood up to go respond to an inquiry at the reception area and as she walked in front of us, I could see that she had stained her trouser. One of the ladies who was fast enough went stood behind her and whispered to her and I could see the distress in the lady’s response. I could not help imagining if I were the one.

It’s usually in such places where if faced with such a natural accident, we feel less of a human. It’s never at home.

There are times I have had to leave work before official time because I have used my last pad and not sure how long it would hold.

I am also reminded of the story of the Kenyan Senator who appeared in parliament in recent weeks with a stained trouser saying she was in her periods and that it was a natural accident. I applaud her brevity and because of that incident there have been more discussions about the revolving topics of period poverty, period shaming, issues that we ought not to forget are still very apparent in our communities.

There have been incentives like availing condoms in public toilets, how about we do the same for pads. This will ensure women experience menstruation with dignity.

Let us create a world where menstruation is managed safely, hygienically, with confidence and without shame. Let’s support women and girls to menstruate with dignity.

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Judith Hope Kiconco, Midwife and Public Health Specialist