• They are Betty Murungi, (Siaya), Agnes Ochillo, (Migori), Janet Baraza, (Kakamega), Emily Nyaribo (Nyamira) and Margaret Markello, (Bungoma).
• The women said there is urgency in creating awareness for sanitary towels to be readily available to women and young girls in the country.
Spouses of governors from the Lake Region Economic Bloc now want sanitary towels to be freely distributed just like condoms to improve menstrual health hygiene. https://rb.gy/0o6e0
Image: FAITH MATETE
Spouses of governors from the Lake Region Economic Bloc now want sanitary towels to be freely distributed just like condoms to improve menstrual health hygiene.
The first ladies rooting fore the initiative are Betty Murungi, (Siaya), Agnes Ochillo, (Migori), Janet Baraza, (Kakamega), Emily Nyaribo (Nyamira) and Margaret Markello, (Bungoma).
The women said there is urgency in creating awareness for sanitary towels to be readily available to women and young girls in the country.
They called on the government and relevant now state agencies to formulate policies to ensure sanitary towels are availed in all public institutions for free just like condoms are put in public toilets and hotels.
According to Agnes, most young girls and adults in many households are still not able to afford sanitary towels.
She said it was sad and unfortunately that some of the group from different regions have never used the commodity in their life.
"There are people who still have no idea how sanitary towels look like because they cannot afford them and have never even been taught how to use them before," she said.
Agnes noted that this is a matter that needs to be urgently addressed.
"Remember women go through menstruation monthly and this commodity is going to harm them more.We need a long lasting solution about this sanitary issue," she noted.
Janet, however, pointed out that condoms were prioritised because of the HIV pandemic but now that strides have been in minimising infections, attention should shift to sanitary towels.
She said the public should be sensitised about menstrual hygiene to stop stigmatisation of the naturally occurring biological phenomenon in women.
"If the government is dispensing condoms to men for free everywhere, why can't they also do the same for women by giving free pads? Janet posed.
Emily said they were in Kisumu to listen to innovators presenting their programmes on the best practices and products they will come up with that will help with sanitation and menstrual health.
The first ladies were addressing the press during USAID Western Kenya Sanitation Project (USAID-WKSP), Hackathon MHM programme.
Hackathon is aimed at identifying technology-based solutions and designs to provide a space for creative problem-solving of sanitation challenges.
According to USAID Western Kenya Sanitation Project Chief of Party, Paul Orengoh, the programme targets at improving menstrual health hygiene.
Image: FAITH MATETE
This will be done through grant funding in support of local innovative concepts and ideas through the rapid building and testing a range of low-cost solutions and prototypes.
Orengoh said the developed solutions will increase the uptake of sanitation and MHM products in
"The Hackathon will not only be based on the technical aspects of the technologies but also on factors such as type of settlements and ownership, financial costs and affordability, design life, scalability, expectations and preferences, institutional capacity, the potential for job creation and environmental considerations.
"The solutions should possess the characteristic of sustainable market-based approaches to sanitation and or MHM challenges addressing affordability, operation and maintenance and institutional responsibilities," Orengoh said.
He also revealed that they will spend up to Sh100 million to award the best innovative ideas dealing with MHM in Western Kenya Region.
"We invited participants from the region. 100 applied but only 15 ideas made it to the Hackathon competition. They will be awarded today," Orengoh said.