Women ask govt to provide free sanitary pads in schools

Women and leaders in the districts of Kiboga and Kyankwanzi have asked the government to prioritise the provision of free sanitary pads in schools as it distributes condoms in public places and health facilities.

They said many girls are dropping out of school because they don’t have pads to use during their menstruation period. 

“If the government can distribute free condoms in public places to fight HIV/Aids, we are convinced that they also can also provide free sanitary pads in schools,’’ Ms Agnes Namusoke, a resident of Nasuuna Village in Kiboga Town Council, said. 

The women made the appeal while meeting Equal Opportunities Commission members at their respective district headquarters last week. 

Without giving specific figures, Ms Chlorine Musoke, the chairperson of the Kiboga District Women’s League, said they are recording a high number of domestic violence cases, which she partly attributed to teenage mothers.

“The Equal Opportunities Commission should help this country. Tell the government that people in the countryside are suffering and need to be helped. This suffering is not only among the youth, but also the elderly, People Living with Disabilities, and children,” she said.

Ms Petua Babirye Isabirye, the principal education and training officer at the Equal Opportunities Commission, said they thought it wise to crisscross districts and identify challenges that affect communities.

“As a commission, it’s our responsibility to find out whether Ugandans are receiving services as planned by the government ranging from health, education and other daily needs based on their gender and age bracket,” she said.

Ms Isabirye added that during one of their recent surveys, they discovered that some Ugandans were not receiving good health services because most health facilities remain understaffed. 

“Some health workers are arrogant, there is no privacy at some facilities, which forces the youth and elderly to abandon them,” he said.

She appealed to district leaders to enforce bylaws that would address some of the challenges.

“In most schools, there are no senior women teachers to aid girls who have clocked puberty age, health facilities have no counsellors for both patients and health workers, we need to work together to address some of these challenges,” she added.

Failed promise
While campaigning in Lango Sub-region in 2015, President Museveni promised that if reelected, his government would provide sanitary pads to school-going. However, in 2017, the government backtracked on the pledge, saying there were no funds to fulfil the promise.

The government introduced free primary education in 1997 to reduce the burden of basic primary education on poor parents.

The scheme has been laden with mismanagement, which has crippled the delivery of quality education.