Eswatini: Bongile Mbingo

Ezulwini Municipality Gender champion. The Mayor’s Walk- Menstrual Health Campaign.

The Menstrual Health Campaign themed My Period, My Power, My Pride is an initiative that was started when Gender Links rolled out the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights program in Johannesburg where there was an SRHR training. As a Gender Champion, I attended together with the Gender Focal Person and the idea of the campaign was born. The target population is Girls and Young Women, parents/ guardians and boys. The realisation is everyone in the community need information on menstruation to give support to the girls and young women going through this monthly growth and development milestone. Every girl and young woman goes through the monthly menstrual period and no matter the socio economic status, women

need to access sanitary wear and information on menstrual health. The objectives of the campaign include addressing the following:

• To free young girls from shame: Menstruation has been taken by society as shameful when in actual fact it is a natural occurrence.
• Change attitude about menstruation; girls and Young women need financial and emotional support during their period.

ACTIVITIES

The Menstrual Health Program is initiative started by Ezulwini Town Council to reach out to girls and young women on issues of menstruation. The key activities for this program include the following:

1. The Mayors’ Walk – themed My Period My Power My Pride.

This is a campaign by the Municipality aimed at mobilizing stakeholders to create awareness of the menstrual Health needs of Girls and Young Women. The target is the Girls and Young women, boys and guardians or parents and the community at large. The campaign does not only reach out to Orphaned and Vulnerable Children but also every girl child who goes through menstruation for them to access sanitary wear and access information on menstruation.

2. Male Involvement

The campaign also seeks to reach out to boys and men to drive a message of supporting girls during their menstruation time. School going by are urged not to bully a girl who is going through this natural body development milestone. Messages to adult males encourage men to support their daughters and female young relatives by providing monthly sanitary pads and educating them about cleanliness.

3. Partnerships

The Municipality sent a proposal to all stakeholders requesting collaboration in implementation of the project. Such partnerships have helped provide resources in reaching large numbers of the girls and young women with sanitary pads.

4. Education

STIs and unhygienic situation for girls, girls suffer from various irritations during their period and and those sexually active can contract STIs. Education on STI can be conducted in schools and during youth activities. The Municipality conducts educational sessions on Wednesday which talks to issues of SRH including menstrual health.

5. Workplace Dialogues

The Municipality engages workplace men and women in dialogues on menstrual health to create awareness on the needs of girls and young women.

RESULTS AND OUTCOMES

Distribution of care kits to female and male beneficiaries of the mayor’s Walk campaign. Girls package included sanitary pad and other toiletries while the boy package had toiletries like soap, tooth brush, tooth paste etc. The contents of the care kits are sourced from local businesses, residents and other organisation. The Municipality has a budget line for the Menstrual Health activities. Girls now have regular access to sanitary wear and their guardians are encouraged to budget for the sanitary wear in their household budget.

Edutainment through drama performed by school going children and message themed dance performed by local girls. The drama talked to issues of menstrual health such as support.