Days for Girls Eswatini

 ( DfG Director Lindiwe Dladla interviewed by Sifiso Nxumalo)  Menstrual health advocacy is pivotal in attaining menstrual equity. Days for Girls takes on numerous platforms to reach a wider audience with menstrual health education as a form of advocacy. We were invited to the Kusile breakfast show where we educated viewers on menstrual health and the DfG washable pad which we call the "smart girls' choice". Prioritizing MH education helps break menstrual stigma and taboos. Deconstructing stigma will enhance positive attitudes around menstruation thus creating supportive environments for menstruators.MH education helps increase body literacy and confidence in managing a period. We further used this platform to urge relevant stakeholders and authorities to recognize MH as a public health issue.MH is a human right and a critical component to achieving gender equality. Prioritizing menstrual health education and access to sanitary pads will be significant steps to awards mai...

  The main obstacle that menstruators often face is that of the lack access to sanitary pads. However, we often overlook inadequate menstrual facilities that affect proper menstrual health management.  During our in-school washable sanitary pads distributions, where we also offer menstrual health education, the girls would share that they kept one pad on the entire day. This was due to the lack privacy in the school toilets thus girls feeling unsafe. This poses urinary health risks. Ideally, a pad should be changed every 3 to 4 hours. Old toilets Through the US embassy Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program, DfG built its first menstrual friendly pit-latrine toilet at Mabasa Primary School. Mabasa Primary school pupils are recipients of the DfG washable sanitary pads. The toilets ensured privacy, luminous light, ventilation and artwork   to help increase girls' self-esteem. DfG also constructed an incinerator for the disposal of sanitary pads.  Menstrual Friendl...