Yep – you heard right….I put two of what are probably the most opposite words in the same sentence. The Melbourne Cricket Ground – being one of the most masculine institutions in Australia (maybe the world!), and Menstruation – probably the most feminine! We made history today as I talked about a girls period being a major barrier to education for millions of girls globally. The talk was a part of a fund raiser for International Day of the Girl and I was representing Plan International and the program I work on in Uganda. It was a great show, raising awareness…not only about periods, but also how issues such as child marriage, violence and discrimination keep girls from school every day.
Here is a copy of my speech…..
When I was a young girl, I was taught that I could achieve what ever I put my mind to. That I should aim high and go for it.
I was raised with the expectation that I would finish school, go to university, travel overseas and live a healthy prosperous life.
I was also fed fairy tales – Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty…that instilled the hope that I would one day find my Prince Charming and live happily ever after.
Travelling through many developing countries and seeing poverty first hand, I formulated my dream to become an Aid Worker so that one day I would be able to ‘give back’ to the beautiful countries in which I travelled.
Interestingly enough my dream of becoming an aid worker came a lot more easily than my dream to find a soul mate…( but you can read about that in my new book ‘Tsunami and the Single Girl’.). I was able to achieve my goal of becoming an aid worker – largely due to Education
On a global scale, I am one of the lucky few. 50% of girls in poor countries who don’t even finish primary school. And even though my search for true love was a struggle, at least I have a choice…unlike the 14 million girls a year who are coorced or forced into marriage before the age of 18 – many of those who are under 15! That is one child bride very two seconds. Early marriage being one of the many barriers to girls education.
As the WASH Program Manager for Plan, I want to talk about one of our programs that works to overcome another barrier to girls education….menstruation. A topic that we in Australia find uncomfortable to speak about in public, you can imagine in more conservative, less educated societies.
True or False: If a girl gets period pain, she can sleep with a man to make the pain go away.
True or False: If a girl bathes when she has her period, she will become infertile.
It is clear to us in Australia that these statements are false, yet it is these types of harmful myths that Plans program in Uganda are working to dispel.
Menstruation is an integral part of human life – in fact of human existence and menstrual hygiene is fundamental to the dignity and wellbeing of women and girls. In many countries, periods are a taboo, and have negative cultural attitudes associated with it – including that women and girls are contaminated or impure. There is little education around menstruation and the onset of a period would cause girls absolute fear as they didn’t know what was happening to their bodies. Girls had been using leaves or ripped up old clothing or newspaper and would often end up with infections, let alone being embarrassed by accidents at school, with no place to wash. Girls often choose to stay home to save themselves from the shame, missing a week a month of important schooling, and 1 in 10 girls across Africa will drop out all together.
I remember at school I would use my period as an excuse to miss swimming or gym class – but I never imagined I would miss school….just because I was a girl….
There are many great programs that Plan works on to overcome barriers to girls education….
The Period Program is my absolute favourite. I love it because it works on so many different levels to address important issues for girls and their communities ….it is not just about giving pads to girls in schools.
The Right to Health and Hygiene – Changing Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice: through education programs in schools and community outreach such as using drama and song to illustrate important messages, breaking down myths (this medium can be better for communities with low literacy)…when I was in Uganda earlier this year, I went to a community drama – at least 100 people of all ages, fully engaged with a witty, lively play by our village health team that we had trained up to promote key messages.
Access to clean pads: Partnership with AfriPads – social enterprise that has a factory of women they train up to be seamstresses, provide employment opportunities that were never there before, and produce washable, re-usable pads that will last up to a year.
Environment – reusable washable pads reduce waste!
The Right to a Livelihood: to make a living and care for your family: Zebia’s story as an Afripads dealer – Plan trained her and other women on business skills as well as menstrual hygiene. Zebia tells a powerful story of her illness with ovarian cancer – she was sick for a long time and unable to be a productive member of her society…she says a woman who is not productive is nothing…. After an operation she is now healthy and she oozes enthusiasm, now empowered as woman in her community and can support her children to go to school, health care centres and ensure food is always on the table.
The Right to Equality: Gender empowerment: Sense of pride from the girls and women who could now go to school without shame, and who could earn a living and be productive in society. ‘I now feel respected’…’I am like a man’…..
The right to Education – removing the barrier that periods cause will ensure more girls stay in school when they hit puberty. Every year of education for a girl – translate to womens ability to earn more money, reduced likelihood of violence, later pregnancy and child birth, better nutrition, healthier babies and more likely to be able to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty.
It is hard to really convey the impact that Plans menstrual hygiene program has on girls and their communities. So I would now like to show a video that will introduce Christine who is one of the inspirational girls that benefit from our program. And I want to thank you for your generous support – because it really does make a difference to girls like Christine.
It means she is able to have a better chance to achieve her own dreams, and create her own fairy tales.
VIDEO: CHRISTINES STORY
Check out Plan International Australia’s Because I am a Girl website: http://www.becauseiamagirl.com.au/
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