Menstruation must not keep learners out of school – Ndjaleka

Menstruation should never force learners to miss school, withdraw from activities or feel less capable than their peers, Deputy Health Minister Hambelela Suzan Ndjaleka has said.

Ndjaleka made the remarks on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at the commemoration of Global Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Day at Suiderlig Secondary School Hall in Keetmanshoop.

The day is commemorated annually on 28 May under the theme “Together, We Can Make Menstruation a Normal Fact of Life by 2030”.

“Your menstruation should never be a reason for you to miss school, withdraw from activities or feel that you are less capable than anyone else,” Ndjaleka said.

She also called on boys and young men to recognise that menstrual health is not only a girls’ issue, saying they have an important role to play in creating supportive environments.

“They are part of the solution. They are needed to replace teasing with understanding, embarrassment with respect, and myths with facts,” she said.

Ndjaleka said schools have a crucial role to play in ensuring that menstruation is treated as a normal part of life.

She encouraged learners to understand their bodies, ask questions and seek accurate information from trusted teachers, healthcare workers, parents and other reliable sources.

Teachers, she said, should also be able to discuss menstrual health without embarrassment or judgement, while schools should provide access to menstrual products, clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

“A school where girls can manage menstruation safely and confidently is a school that protects learning, dignity and equality,” Ndjaleka said.

Global period crisis

The challenges surrounding menstrual health extend beyond Namibia.

The World Health Organisation said earlier this year that an estimated 500 million people who menstruate globally lack access to menstrual materials and appropriate facilities, including water, sanitation and hygiene.

International aid organisation CARE said in July that the lack of menstrual products, clean water, private sanitation and basic information can turn a natural biological process into a monthly crisis for millions of women and girls.

“Menstrual health is often treated as a private concern. But in crisis settings, schools, and under-resourced communities, it becomes a public health, education and dignity issue,” CARE said.

UN Women has warned that more than 1.5 billion people still lack basic sanitation services, including private toilets.

The UN said period poverty is also compounded by stigma and inadequate information, leaving many girls and young women unprepared for menstruation and, in some cases, keeping them out of school.