Positive Periods, Girls And Education
Salimatu S Koroma gender desk officer Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU).
After a decade long civil war, Sierra Leone witnessed an
unprecedented surge in school enrolment at both the primary
and then the secondary levels.
Committed to the Education for All objectives, the Government
of Sierra Leone, further encouraged access to school. The main
task included reaching the out of school children and improving
the quality of the learning environment and ultimately the
learning outcomes. The needs of the poor, as well as the
elimination of disparities between urban and rural areas and
between boys and girls attending school was of paramount
importance to all, including the Sierra Leone Teachers Union.
We all know that menstruation can often be challenging for girls.
Girls are very concerned about the problems of leaks, stains and
odour during menstruation. These can have a negative impact
and as such stop them from coming to school when they are
unable to access adequate period products.
Many girls do not have a place to dispose of the readymade
sanitary pads in their school toilets so they devise other
strategies; some flush them or stay at home during their periods.
The Government has established policies protecting girls’ rights
to education, although current education and health policies do
not yet specifically address menstrual hygiene.
Research has shown that the onset of menstruation presents
several challenges. Girls report experiencing stress, shame,
embarrassment, confusion and fear due to a lack of knowledge
and inability to manage menstrual flow or from being teased
by peers. These challenges negatively impact girls’ learning
experiences and result in absenteeism, decreased school
participation and falling behind in courses. Girls face these
challenges due to poor menstruation related knowledge and
insufficient access to menstrual materials.
I must first of all commend the Steve Sinnott Foundation for their initiative to address current deficits in girls’ and adolescents’ menstrual management through the Positive Periods Programme.
The three effective trainings of Home Economics teachers we have conducted have focused on health and education and the making of reusable menstrual pads. In our experience we have found that the quality of modern menstrual pads available in Sierra Leone is not effective because they are not absorbent enough. They cannot absorb the leakage properly. I say this because I have experienced this for many years. I have never used any menstrual pad but modern menstrual pads. I always doubled them before going out to avoid embarrassment or shame in public. The pain and discomfort I experienced during these periods was unbearable.
Reusable pads have a cotton or towel liner that prevents any sticking or overflow. Even though they have no super absorbents, they capture and contain your flow. You feel comfortable when you have them on, and they do not leak. They are safe. Reusable pads are the best for girls and women as well as for the environment.
From Engage issue 20.
SALIMATU S KOROMA • October 20, 2021
This week while out and about in Hertfordshire and we visited the British Schools Museum. We discovered the first school opened by Joseph Lancaster, was known as the ‘Poor Childs Friend”, was in 1810. It was his lifelong mission that all children regardless of their circumstances, should benefit from an education. Apparently, Joseph heard a small girl say, “Oh that I could read!” and this inspired him to create a simple education system that eventually would benefit children across the world. Joseph was the tenth son of a poor man himself from South London. His aim was to offer free education for everyone. However, it would be 93 years before the U.K. government finally made education free for all. There are still many countries today where education is still not free to access and it is certainly not compulsory for primary and secondary age pupils. Joseph’s mission really resonates with that of the Foundation, to support access to education for all. We enjoyed our visit and appreciated the tour given by two of the Museum’s volunteers, Angela and Clare. They described some of the challenges faced in the early years of formal education and shared some of the rules that teachers and students had to abide by with us.
Sparks Bristol is a collaborative community project initially envisioned by The Global Goals Centre, (GGC) more of which below. A few years ago, GGC took over an empty Marks and Spencer store and that’s how Sparks was born. Sparks is a department store with a difference, co-created by Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace. On the ground floor is a huge range of shops, installations, events and more. Upstairs is a hub for local artists, it offers affordable studios as well as rehearsal and performance space. The Global Goals Centre is a Bristol-based educational charity inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). GGC believe the SDG’s or Global Goals as they are sometimes known, can be reached, with imaginative solutions and widespread education and engagement. They work with partners to promote creative solutions and deliver ground breaking projects that work towards these ambitious goals. The Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the Global Goals Centre with seed funding when it first started over 5 years ago. This month we went to visit them to see how they are getting on and we were taken aback by the volume of work they have achieved since they started. It is amazing to see how though working together with other local community groups it has grown into the vibrant centre it is today. All of the creative projects they host are linked to the SDGs. They cover topics that tackle poverty, education, climate change, fashion recycling and upcycling, to name a few.
Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.
