Rural Girls Using Cow Dung As Sanitary Pads

Director of Shamwari Yemusikana Organisation Ekenia Chifamba said the majority of rural girls are now using cow dungs and leaves for their monthly menstrual cycle as prices of sanitary pads are now unaffordable.

Chifamba said this in an interview on the side lines of the International Women’s Day organised by Amnesty International and Shamwari Yemusikana. Said Chifamba:

I think a year ago sanitary pads were going for a dollar and the majority of our girls could not even afford to buy the sanitary pads and now with that huge amount of sanitary pads more of them are failing to do so, now they are ranging from six to nine dollars.  If you go to some of marginalised parts of Zimbabwe like Mutoko and Chiredzi, they are girls who are now resorting to use unhygienic cow dungs, girls are using materials from handmade pillows that they have, some of them are using leaves and it negatively affecting their health.

She urged government to come forward and address this issue urgently.

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