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Union Transport Alliance (Union), an umbrella for public transport uniting boda-bodas, taxis, buses, and truck operators, has launched the One Million Pads for One Million Girls campaign, a nationwide initiative aimed at tackling period poverty and reducing school absenteeism among vulnerable girls.
The campaign, in partnership with The Mental Health Awareness Initiative (TMHAI), builds on the recently introduced Kili Clear initiative, which seeks to make quality sanitary pads more affordable and accessible to women and girls across the country.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), about 30 per cent of girls from low-income households in Uganda miss school every month because they cannot afford sanitary products.
Many eventually drop out of school altogether, highlighting the need for interventions to improve menstrual health management.
Speaking at the launch, Union product advisor Fred Ssenoga said the initiative reflects the organisation’s commitment to ensuring that no girl is disadvantaged because of her menstrual cycle.
“Through this initiative, we are not only providing affordable products but also reaching girls who cannot afford them at all. This is a national movement to ensure that no girl ever misses school because of her period,” Ssenoga said.
The campaign will leverage Union’s nationwide grassroots network to mobilise support from government, development partners, the private sector, schools, civil society organisations and individual well-wishers to sponsor sanitary pads for vulnerable girls.
The commissioner for reproductive health at the ministry of Health, Dr Richard Mugahi, welcomed the initiative, saying poor menstrual hygiene management contributes to school absenteeism, teenage pregnancies and poor health outcomes among adolescent girls.
“We want to use this opportunity not only to provide pads but also to teach girls about their sexuality and reproductive health so that we reduce teenage pregnancies,” Mugahi said.
He noted that teenage pregnancies expose young girls to serious health complications, including obstructed labour and obstetric fistula, because many become pregnant before their bodies are fully developed.
Diana Ampaire, the campaign ambassador, described period poverty as one of the most pressing challenges affecting girls across Uganda. She said her travels around the country during the election period exposed the scale of the problem.
“As I travelled across the country, the biggest issue I found was period poverty. I am glad that this campaign is bringing together people from different sectors because this is not just a women’s issue but a national issue,” Ampaire said.
She called for menstrual health to be treated as a public health priority and urged government and other stakeholders to increase investment in programmes that support vulnerable girls.
The organisers said they hope the campaign will improve school attendance among girls while promoting dignity, menstrual health awareness and equal educational opportunities.
Related
, https://observer.ug/education/one-million-pads-for-one-million-girls-launched-to-tackle-period-poverty/
