Kenya

IAD’s efforts in Kenya will focus on advocacy and the implementation of existing regulations to end period poverty. It’s high time that our leaders walk the talk and deliver their promises.

I.BACKGROUND Kenya is considered a leader in addressing period poverty, however there are still many barriers in Kenya to achieve their set targets. In numbers: 1. Lack of affordable products- 65% of girls and women in Kenya cannot afford sanitary pads. 80% rural girls and women cannot afford the commercial disposable pads, such as P&G’s Always. 2. Lack of sanitation facilities- Just 32% of rural schools have a private place for girls to change their menstrual product.

3. Lack of education- 1 in 4 girls do not associate menstruation with pregnancy. Only 50% of girls say that they openly discuss menstruation at home. only 12% of girls in Kenya would be comfortable receiving the information from their mother. 2 out of 3 of pad users aged 13-29 in rural Kenya engage in transactional sex where they receive pads from sexual partners. This situation puts them at risks of unwanted pregnancies or STIs.

4. Lack of long-term policy implementation: A. Kenya passed the legislation on the distribution of menstrual pads to schools in 2017. The Basic Education Act Section 39 (k)says: “It shall be the duty of the Cabinet Secretary to provide free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels to every girl child registered and enrolled in a public basic education institution who has reached puberty and provide a safe and environmentally sound mechanism for disposal of the sanitary towels” B. Kenya removed tampon tax in 2004, being the first country to do so. C. Kenya removed import duties and tax on all period products in 2011. In the act, the government reported that 4 million girls needed sanitary products. In 2017, the government had given 3.7 million girls 4 packs of sanitary pads, only enough to last four months leaving them to their own devices for the remaining period of their periods.

II. TYPES OF SANITARY PRODUCTS 1. Commercially Disposable Pads Common. The price ranges from 50ksh-80 kshs. Range from high cost manufacturers such as multinational companies (Johnson & Johnson) to small scale local social enterprises such as Zana Africa (Nia Pads) E.g Always.

2. Commercially disposable tampons Barrier from cultural belief about insertable products (in relation to virginity). Commonly used by middle or upper class. E.g OB Tampon

3. Commercially disposable cups Limited access due to costs and lack of wide distribution. E.g Diva Cup

4. Commercially reusable pads Mostly distributed by local social enterprises or NGOs. E.g Huru International

5. Rags

Not hygienic. III. CURRENT REGULATION Under the Free Sanitary Towels Program, the Ministry of Public Service and Gender was tasked to distribute sanitary towels for 3.7 million girls in schools at a cost of Kshs. 470 million during the 2017/2018. It is estimated that the Treasury has pumped Sh1.9 billion into the programme and that has benefited 11.2 million girls.

In 2019, female MPs “laid siege” to the education ministry to protest about the 14 year old girl’s death due to period shaming and discuss the programme. IV. KEY PLAYERS 1. Kenyan Ministry of Education

2. Kenyan Ministry of Public Service and Gender

3. UNESCO

4. UNFPA

5. WASH

6. WaterAid

7. Savethechildren

8. PATH 9. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 10. UNICEF

NGOs: - ZanaAfrica Foundation - Huru International V. STRATEGIES 1. Lower the cost of menstrual products Some argue that the government does not have the financial capability to provide free menstrual products to all who menstruate. However, the government can lower the current cost to facilitate access to those who can afford them. To do so, the government needs to increase and improve domestic manufacturing through government subsidies. To be effective, this strategy will need to be coupled with education because locally manufactured menstrual products are seen as low quality or expensive. 2. Place a duty on all schools to provide free sanitary products in the toilets. The major problem is the storage of the products. According to news, sanitary products placed in schools get stolen or some schools do not have proper storage. 3. Increase the budget for the Free Menstrual Towels Program. According to MP Esther Passaris, the government must multiply their current budget to 10x in order to fulfill the Free Menstrual Towels program needs. VI. EDUCATION-DEMANDS 1. Education- Introduce comprehensive sex education. 1. Although the Kenyan government provides puberty education in schools, the curriculum focuses primarily on the biological rather than psycho-social changes including the hygienic use and disposal of sanitary pads, for instance. 2. Although teachers are trained to provide puberty education, studies show that the majority is embarrassed or shy to cover topics of menstruation. For instance, in 2019, a 14 year old girl killed herself after her teacher humiliated her over her period.After the girl experienced her first period during a class and stained her uniform, the teacher called her as ‘dirty’ and expelled her from school. 3. Out of school girls are usually left out of these discussions on menstrual hygiene and not educated too.

VII. INVOLVED POLITICIANS

MP Esther Passaris

Sen. Susan Kihika- Senator of Nakuru