As
we
made
the
three-hour
drive
from
Harare
to
Buhera
district
in
Manicaland
province,
we
felt
both
anticipation
and
anxiety
about
our
planned
stakeholder
consultations.
Our
key
objective
was
to
understand
the
community’s
views
and
practices
related
to
menstrual
health
and
hygiene
(MHH).
We
were
keen
to
validate
the
education
package
designed
to
share
information
on
adolescent
sexual
and
reproductive
health
(SRH)
with
girls
and
boys—both
in
and
out
of
school—as
well
as
teachers,
parents,
and
community
members.
One
in
10
girls in
Sub-Saharan
Africa
miss
school
during
menstruation,
leading
to
a
potential
20%
lack
of
attendance
in
the
school
year.
These
missed
school
days
compound
over
time,
translating
into
lower
learning
outcomes,
reduced
skills
acquisition,
and
fewer
pathways
to
productive
employment.
Addressing
MHH
is
therefore
central
to
building
human
capital
and
helping
girls
gain
jobs,
dignity,
and
economic
independence.
While
critical,
access
to
affordable
products,
water,
and
sanitation
and
hygiene
facilities
is
not
enough.
For
success,
efforts
must
also
confront
the
deep-rooted
silence
and
stigma
surrounding
menstruation.
Social
norms
determine
whether
girls
manage
their
periods
with
dignity
and
confidence—and
whether
families,
teachers,
and
communities
support
them.
These
norms
also
shape
whether
girls
remain
on
a
trajectory
toward
economic
participation
or
are
pushed
out
of
school
and
into
early
marriage
or
informal,
low-productivity
work.
Expanding
to
Zimbabwe,
the East
Africa
Girls
Empowerment
and
Resilience
Program
(EAGER) Program
will
work
to
boost
girls
and
women’s
education
and
earnings,
along
with
strengthening
institutional
capacity
to
foster
gender
equality.
It
focuses
on
education
and
pathways
for
school-to-work
transition
and
supports
access
to
adolescent
health
and
gender-based
violence
services.
It
is
designed
to
build
on
and
deepen
the
country’s
existing
legal
and
policy
commitments
including
the
National
Gender
Policy,
the
Broad‑Based
Women’s
Economic
Empowerment
Framework,
and
reforms
that
strengthen
girls’
rights
and
access
to
sexual
and
reproductive
health
services.
EAGER
also
complements
ongoing
work
of
the
Ministry
of
Women
Affairs,
Community,
Small
and
Medium
Enterprises
Development,
which
coordinates
programs
on
menstrual
health
and
hygiene,
reusable
sanitary
pad
production,
and
girls’
empowerment,
implemented
in
partnership
with
other
Ministries
in
an
Interministerial
Menstrual
Health
Management
Committee.
By
promoting
a
whole
of
government
and
society
approach
that
engages
schools,
faith
and
traditional
leaders,
families
and
young
people,
EAGER
aims
to
consolidate
these
gains
into
a
coherent
national
platform
that
ensures
menstrual
health
is
fully
integrated
into
women’s
economic
empowerment,
youth
empowerment,
and
education
strategies,
so
that
opportunities
for
girls
are
not
curtailed
by
menstruation.
This
work
aligns
with
the
World
Bank
Group’s
focus
on
jobs
as
the
pathway
out
of
poverty.
Investments
in
adolescent
girls
are
economic
investments:
When
girls
stay
in
school,
delay
early
pregnancy,
and
acquire
skills,
they
are
more
likely
to
access
productive
employment,
increase
their
lifetime
earnings,
and
contribute
to
inclusive
economic
growth.
As
we
entered
the
premises
of
the
District
Council
office
in
Buhera,
we
were
met
by
men
and
women,
including
the
traditional
chief,
the
pastor,
and
elderly
and
middle-aged
community
members.
The
discussion
began
with
the
views
and
practices
related
to
menstrual
cycles,
and
what
we
heard
reflected
age-old
taboos.
“The
belief
is
that
springs
will
disappear,
leaves
and
fruits
will
dry
up,
and
fish
will
be
gone,
with
the
touch
of
menstruating
women
and
girls–but
of
course
this
is
from
the
past
and
not
sure
this
applies
now
and
we
should
revisit
this.”
“Menstruating
women
and
girls
are
not
allowed
to
enter
the
church
per
our
scriptures–however,
they
do
need
to
be
part
of
society
and
not
excluded.
We
pastors
need
more
information
and
knowledge
to
convince
our
congregation
to
relook
at
this
practice.”
The
discussion
then
moved
to
reviewing
the
proposed
education
package.
Participants.
found
the
materials
to
be,
“Very
useful
and
should
be
available
to
everyone–especially
the
parents
and
grandparents,
so
that
they
can
be
informed
and
guide
adolescent
girls
and
boys.”
During
a
discussion
with
local
government
and
sectoral
department
officials
from
Buhera,
we
were
encouraged
to
learn
about
existing
awareness
programs,
distribution
efforts,
and
local
manufacturing
of
sanitary
products.
These
local
initiatives
show
that
menstrual
health
can
also
create
local
job
opportunities,
particularly
for
women,
in
the
production
and
distribution
of
affordable
products
This
groundwork
reflects
a
strong
commitment
of
all
participants
to
implement
MHH
activities,
enhance
SRH
information
among
adolescent
boys
and
girls,
create
enabling
environments
in
schools,
neighborhoods
and
homes,
prevent
risky
behaviors,
and
keep
girls
in
school
by
addressing
period
poverty
and
teenage
pregnancies.
For
the
World
Bank
Group,
this
is
ultimately
a
jobs
challenge:
without
addressing
the
barriers
girls
face
early
in
life,
countries
risk
losing
a
significant
share
of
their
future
workforce,
productivity,
and
growth
potential.
EAGER
is
currently
active
in
Mozambique
and
Madagascar–
supporting
over
2
million
girls
to
remain
or
return
to
school,
increasing
the
labor
market
productivity
of
160,000
women,
and
engaging
over
6
million
change
agents
in
behavior
change
campaigns
to
shift
gender
norms.
The
EAGER
Program
in
Zimbabwe
recognizes
that
transforming
menstrual
health
needs
to
go
beyond
providing
products
or
facilities.
It
is
about
partnership—across
ministries,
schools,
faith
and
traditional
leaders,
families,
and
young
people
themselves.
A
whole-of-society
approach
to
menstrual
health
is
an
investment
in
Zimbabwe’s
future
workforce—helping
young
women
stay
in
school,
gain
skills,
and
transition
into
meaningful,
higher-quality
jobs
that
drive
inclusive
growth.
Source:
Keeping
girls
in
school,
building
Zimbabwe’s
future
workforce