From uncomfortable to confident educator on menstruation: the story of Emily
Pricilla Emily Lita: ‘Thanks to the Give Girls Wings project, I now have a new set of re-usable pads! I am happy and comfortable learning.’
Menstruation a taboo
In many countries menstruation is still a taboo or women lack water to wash with, don't have sanitary pads, and toilets are not clean or safe. Which causes some women and girls to stay at home from work or school during their period, which affects their well-being and income.
Problems in managing her menstruation
Emily (14 years old) goes to 7th standard at Pasani Primary School in Mulanje. Emily comes from a poor household and has been experiencing problems in managing her menstruation. She couldn’t afford buying sanitary pads from the shops.
'Thanks to the Give Girls Wings project, I now have a new set of re-usable pads! I am happy and comfortable learning. I am confident now and hopefully will realise my dream of becoming an engineer.’
From rags to re-usable sanitary pads
So for the past 2 years, Emily has been using rags. Which is not only uncomfortable but also unreliable: ‘every time I am on my period, I feel nervous and uncomfortable afraid to leak through. I was scared to be bullied by boys. I could not come to school and it affected my performance. Thanks to the Give Girls Wings project, I now have a new set of re-usable pads! I am happy and comfortable learning. I am confident now and hopefully will realise my dream of becoming an engineer.’
Girl leader: motivating her peers
Emily is a member of a Health Club and a girl leader. She has participated in session on leadership and on sexual and reproductive rights and on menstrual health. She’s a peer educator now motivating her school girls colleagues not to drop school from pregnancies or marriages.
