Menstrual hygiene management, a nightmare for rural girls – Mapatizya MP

By NATION REPORTER

MAPATIZYA Member of Parliament in Zimba District, Southern Province, Emelda Munashabantu, has raised concerns about the dire state of menstrual hygiene management for young girls in rural areas.

She said the lack of proper facilities and erratic water supply exacerbates the challenges faced by the vulnerable children.

Ms Munashabantu highlighted the impact of erratic water supply, particularly in Mapatizya, where dry boreholes are common and the challenges people were going through to access clean and safe drinking water.

“As a rural Constituency, Mapatizya faces water scarcity,” she explained. “While we have the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), the declining water table poses problems. Providing water in schools remains a struggle due to the prevalence of dry boreholes,” Ms Munahsabantu said.

The Mapatizya UPND law maker has emphasized the importance of collaboration to address menstrual hygiene challenges, especially those in rural areas.

“For rural girl children, menstruation is a nightmare,” Munashabantu stated. “They walk long distances and lack the financial means. As Members of Parliament, we recognize that access to sanitary pads is a human right. Anything natural should take priority. Every school has toilets, and every facility we use has one. Why? Because it’s a basic human need,” she said.

Munashabantu urged NGOs to visit Mapatizya and witness the struggles faced by women who cannot afford food or send their children to school.

“These girls are expected to perform equally to boys,” she asserted. “Government and NGOs must work together to address this issue. I call upon men to advocate for women’s rights. Suppressing women affects our girl children.”

This is contained in a statement issued by Zambia NGO WASH Forum National Coordinator Bubala Muyovwe-Mumba.