Every May 28, the international community commemorates World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 66% of girls in Africa are not properly informed about menstruation before they experience their first period, making the experience negative and sometimes traumatic. The same source points out that one in ten school-age girls on the African continent is regularly absent from school during her period.
Breaking the silence
The establishment of World Menstrual Hygiene Day dates back to 2014. Its aim is to break the silence and spread information to enable the community in general and the school community in particular to communicate and exchange on improving menstrual hygiene management.
The day also aims to call on decision-makers to improve sanitary infrastructures in schools, with a view to increasing girls’ attendance, participation and retention, even during menstruation.
28 Mai
The choice of day, the 28th of the month, was made with the average length of a menstrual cycle in mind. The month of May is the 5th of the year, the average number of days in a menstrual cycle.
A site to visit : www.menstrualhygieneday.org
NGO SANG TABOU
