YEI celebrates with and creates awareness among more than 110 young girls in two communities and a school in the Paynesville City, Montserrado County, Liberia. During the program marking the observance of the day, Anmartu Horace, the coordinator of the program encouraged the participants, primarily young girls, to not be ashamed to discuss issues affecting them. She said that the discussion about period should be a normal thing and no girl should take it as a taboo. She demonstrated the proper use of the sanitary pads and encouraged the girls to learn how to safely use them. She stressed the need for the inclusion of boys into the discussion so that they too can erase the stigma associated with menstrual period.
Discussion about menstruation and or period is seen as a taboo in most African culture.
One of the biggest challenges to menstrual hygiene is access to sanitary pads during menstrual period, thereby leaving most young girls to use unsafe clothes which cause other sicknesses. Mothers, sisters, and daughters that cannot afford a pad to have a safe period🩸 or to feel comfortable when on their menstrual cycle always feel ashamed😪
Girls have been bullied and shamed just because of the social norms and taboos imposed on them without looking at the challenges they go through every month of their life.
According to Anmartu Horace, to break this social norm, we all must talk period🩸 to erase the misconception on menstrual hygiene practices.
At the close of the program, YEI distributed menstrual hygiene materials – sanitary pads, soap, and towels to the participants.