Launch of the Campaign to reduce the prices of sanitary pads in Cameroon
Buea-22 November 2022: For Immediate Release,
We, Ethical and Sustainable Future for All (ESFA)
- Acknowledging the contributions of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) for accepting to contribute in creating/designing the contents and flyers for this campaign and running the campaign on their website (https://hrlrc.org/) and social media platforms. Other partners who accepted to take part in the campaign including Her Innovation Cameroon (HIC), Association for Women’s Empowerment and Peace Education (AWEPE), The Light,
- Acknowledging that the right to health is fundamental
- Acknowledging that the prices of sanitary pads in Cameroon are very expensive and cannot be easily afford by vulnerable women and girls especially in rural communities,
- Acknowledging the continues increase in the prices of sanitary pads have an adverse effects on the rights of girls to education,
- Acknowledging that limited access to sanitary pads leads to stigma and low self-esteem among adolescent girls.
- Acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Anglophone Crisis in the North West and South West Regions and the Boko Haram Insurgency in the Northern Regions of Cameroon have leads to economic hardship especially among vulnerable groups and individuals and an increase in the prices of sanitary pads,
- Considering that there is need for the government of Cameroon to subsidized the prices of sanitary pads to enhance menstrual hygiene.
Is launching a campaign aimed at advocating for and urging the government to subsidize the prices of sanitary pads through tax free importation and production of sanitary in Cameroon.
A reduction in the prices of sanitary pads in Cameroon leads to improvement in the education of a girl child, menstrual hygiene and defy menstrual stigma among teenage girls. It increases the productivity of women thus, the enhancement of sustainable economic growth and development.
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Mr. Berinyuy Cajetan: Founder and President, Ethical and Sustainable Future for All (ESFA)
The Sanitary Pads in Cameroon are too expensive, we want Reduction in the Prices of Sanitary Pads
According to UNICEF[1], every month, 1.8 billion people across the world menstruate. Millions of these girls, women, non-binary persons are unable to manage their menstrual cycle in a dignified, healthy way. Though menstruation is natural and a human rights, many adolescent girls face stigma, harassment and social exclusion during menstruation.
Among other issues, gender inequality, discriminatory social norms, cultural taboos, poverty and lack of basic services like toilets and sanitary products can all leads to unhealthy and unhygienic menstruation.
Without or limited access to healthy and hygienic sanitary pads, girl’s right to education and social cohesion is affected. During our community mobilization, we come to understand that many girls often miss classes because of limited access to sanitary pads and the stigma they faced from their peers as a result of blood stains.
In a rural community Buea, a teenage girl told our team that she was ashamed and feel uncomfortable when her friends saw bloodstains on her cloths. Because of this stigma, many vulnerable girls who cannot afford have been missing classes sometimes for weeks because of the fear of potential bloodstains on them.
In Cameroon, it is sadden that with the economic hardship especially in rural communities, women and girls have continued to suffer the consequences with continuous increase in the prices of sanitary pads. A packet of disposable sanitary pads in Cameroon cost as high as 600FCFA which is approximately $1. Given that minimum wage in Cameroon is as low as 36,270 FCFA which is equivalent to 55USD. In rural communities, the economic conditions are deplorable and families survived below poverty line per day that is below 1USD.
In Cameroon, the majority population uses disposable sanitary pads and taking into consideration the health benefits and hygienic conditions of the disposable sanitary pads, our campaign targets the reduction in the prices of disposable sanitary pads in Cameroon.
According to UNICEF[2], Disposable sanitary pads are worn externally to the body in the underwear to absorb menstrual flow. They are disposed of after a maximum of 8 hours; they are therefore consumables which require regular assessment of supply, availability and affordability. Pads come in various sizes, absorbencies and materials and consist of a layered design made of blends of plastics, rayon and cotton. Pads should include wings to prevent leakage and keep the pad more securely in place. The definition above carries key characteristics like regular assessment of supply, availability and affordability. In Cameroonian rural communities, majority women and girls lack or have limited access to disposable sanitary pads because of limited resources or poverty.
As a remedy, community members have resulted to using unhealthy cloths. The usage of these cloths in place of sanitary pads is a threat to their menstrual health and hygiene.
The campaign will focus online and offline and will involve
- Sensitization relating to the usage and disposal of sanitary pads.
- Improving Menstrual Hygiene
- Defying Menstruation stigma
- Recommendation to the national and international community for the reduction in the prices of pads.
Targeted Audience
Our targeted audience are international and national authorities or decision makers and the general population.
Our Objective
Our sole objective is tilted towards policy change in relation to the reduction of the prices of sanitary pads and to educate or sensitize the population on the usage and disposal of sanitary pads, improve menstrual Hygiene, and defy menstrual stigma especially in among students.
Time Frame
6 Months campaign both online and offline
Tools:
We will use the services of the following social media platforms
- Our organizational website
- Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (https://hrlrc.org/)
- Other social Media platforms
- Radio and Television Broadcast
- Print Media
Apart from disposable pads which our campaign focuses on, it is worthy to note that there exist several types[3] of sanitary pads, that is.
- Menstrual cloth: Cloths are reusable pieces of fabric worn externally to the body, in underwear or tied to the waist to absorb menstrual flow. They are made from either newly purchased pieces of fabric (mostly cotton) or old fabric repurposed from clothing or another use. There is no guidance on how long cloths can be reused, but it is generally agreed that this should be for no longer than 1 year. They are consumables and require regular assessment of supply, availability and affordability
- Reusable pad: Reusable pads are worn externally to the body in the underwear, to absorb menstrual flow and held in place usually by snaps. They are made from a variety of natural or synthetic materials. After use, they are washed, dried and re-used for approximately one year. They are consumables which require regular assessment of supply, availability and affordability
- Tampon: Tampons are absorbent materials made from cotton and/or rayon that are inserted into the vagina to absorb menstrual flow. They expand with moisture and thereby avoid leakage. They can be worn for up to 8 hours, after which they are removed using the removal string, and disposed of. They come in a variety of sizes, materials and with or without an applicator to assist insertion. Tampons are consumables which require regular assessment of supply, availability and affordability.
- Menstrual Cup: The menstrual cup is a non-absorbent bell-shaped device that is inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual flow. It creates a seal and is held in place by the walls of the vagina. It is typically made of medical-grade silicone. It collects three times more blood than pads or tampons and needs to be emptied every 6-12 hours, after which it is rinsed and re-inserted (if facilities allow). After each menstrual cycle the cup must be boiled for 5-10 minutes. Most manufactures offer at least two sizes, and different shapes are becoming more common. Cups are reusable for 5-10 years.
Expected Results.
- Reduction in the Prices of sanitary pads
- An increase in Menstrual hygiene in Cameroon
- An improvement in the proper use and disposal of sanitary pads in Cameroon
- Improvement in women and girls productivity in Cameroon
If you you want HRLRC to design your campaign strategy, create contents or designs messages and flyers for your campaign, contact us through +237 652325886 or admin@hrlrc.org. You can also publish your article, work of your NGO or Civil Society Organization, Thesis or an Article with HRLRC.
[1] https://www.unicef.org/wash/menstrual-hygiene
[2] https://www.unicef.org/media/91346/file/UNICEF-Guide-menstrual-hygiene-materials-2019.pdf
[3] https://www.unicef.org/media/91346/file/UNICEF-Guide-menstrual-hygiene-materials-2019.pdf
