By Beverly Bizeki
While efforts to combat period poverty have gained traction, menstrual health management advocate Tichamupei Comfort Chivore says men remain a crucial but often overlooked part of menstrual health management.
Chivore who leads a movement on addressing period poverty said there was need to educate boys on menstruation, challenging the cultural taboo that keeps men out of the conversation.
“Men rarely discuss menstruation, this is why I started talking to boys, it’s considered a taboo topic. Educating boys fosters responsible men who understand menstrual hygiene. If we can raise men who are comfortable buying sanitary pads for their sisters, daughters, or partners, we can help address some of the challenges girls face,” said Chivore.
Chivore said menstruation remains a taboo in some rural communities and poses many dangers to girls’ health and self-esteem.
“The reason I started this menstrual hygiene journey is that many people, including men, know very little about the subject. I have worked in rural areas for a long time and have seen firsthand the struggles girls face when they lack proper menstrual hygiene resources,” Chivore said.
She said the challenges girls encounter, including missing school due to a lack of sanitary products or attending without adequate materials, which can lead to soiled uniforms and public humiliation had a negative impact on their self-esteem.
“Some girls abscond from school, while others come unprepared and end up soiling their uniforms. Boys often laugh at and ridicule them, which negatively impacts the girls’ self-esteem. Some eventually drop out of school,” she said.
She also pointed out that many girls in rural areas resort to using unsafe materials, leading to serious health risks.
“In some remote areas where access to menstrual products is scarce, girls use harmful materials, which can lead to infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs). Once infected, getting medical treatment becomes another challenge. That’s why our pad drive advocacy also involves educating young mothers, girls, and boys to remove the stigma and ensure better menstrual health management,” Chivore said.
She stressed the importance of teaching girls in marginalized communities how to make reusable pads with safe materials, as well as raising awareness about the dangers of untreated infections.
“Beyond the loss of confidence due to a lack of sanitary materials, we also need to address the health risks. If these infections go untreated, they can worsen, but stigma often prevents open discussions in our communities,” she said.
Chivore called on well-wishers to support the cause by donating pads, providing transport, educating children on menstrual hygiene, and supplying materials for reusable pads.
A study by SNV Zimbabwe revealed that 72 percent of menstruating school girls do not use sanitary products because they are not affordable while other reports show that 62 percent of girls in rural schools miss school every month due to period poverty.
