NYDA to tackle girls issues this Women’s Month
NYDA wants to keep every girl in school by providing sanitary towels.
This Women’s Month the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is continuing with its call for sanitary towels to be made available for free to all poor and rural schools.
The agency has decided to dedicate Women’s Month to raising awareness about the absence of sanitary towels amongst girls in poor and rural schools.
Events which include social dialogues have been planned by the agency across the country throughout this month to raise awareness about this issue.
Their research has showed that young women who cannot afford pads or tampons miss one school week every month, which amounts to roughly 60 days a year.
“The absence of sanitary products is keeping young women at an educational disadvantage and prevents their advancement. Without sanitary products, girls are excluded from their right to an education,” said Yershen Pillay who is the NYDA executive chairperson.
The NYDA has already started distributing sanitary towels to needy girls across the country.
“While we, as the NYDA, have distributed close to 50 000 packs of disposable sanitary towels in the last financial year alone, this is not a sustainable solution.
“We require a long term, practical and comprehensive solution to ensure that girls don’t skip school or seek other alternative unhygienic methods.
“This is not a women’s issue but an issue of national importance,” said Pillay.
