The Sunday News
THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care says it is highly concerned over the cultural taboos associated with discussing women’s health issues in family set ups saying it was increasing hostility between fathers and their daughters.
The chairperson of the portfolio committee Dr Ruth Labode said this during a discussion on Menstrual Health Management held by SNV Zimbabwe last week.
She said it was still a challenge to talk about menstruation with men openly and it was ruining the bond that should be there.
She said it was necessary that fathers also understand what the child is going through so that even when budgeting is done, she is catered for in terms of sanitary wear.
Member of Parliament for Chakari constituency Aldrin Musiiwa said in as much as there were taboos associated with discussing menstruation, failure to discuss it was retrogressive.
“We understand there are taboos but those taboos will not take us forward in our endeavour to improve the situation of the health of the girl child. We have to remove that mentality that some things should not be discussed with men and move forward,” said Musiiwa.
MP for Bulilima East constituency Mathias Sinqoza Ndlovu said community home-based care workers in his area had difficulties discussing issues of menstruation.
“The workers had a hard time trying to talk to the community about menstruation but I am saying we need to be free and debate about it. In the Xhosa culture, boys are initiated into adulthood where they are taken to a secret place and are taught about this change, so should girls,” he said.
Ndlovu said it should be a known thing that the girls were as human as men as such there was no harm if men also discussed menstruation.
On the other hand some Members of Parliament said it was taboo that a father even be seen buying sanitary wear and they said it should be limited to mothers and aunts.
Ms Lindile Ndebele, the Senior Water Sanitation and Hygiene Programme officer at SNV Zimbabwe said if the men were not involved in these health issues it would be difficult to get support from all angles and to even explain some situations.
“If a father is not aware of the sanitary needs of the girl child it will happen when he sees his daughter not attending class because she has no sanitary pads or has extreme period pains for three or so days since some people say it is taboo to talk to men about it,” said Ms Ndebele.
It was also noted during the discussion that in the Kalanga tradition a girl who has had her first cycle is kept away closed in a room for a month while she is taught on how to care for herself during menstruation.
This was however viewed by some as retrogressive as a child would miss a time away from school.
Ms Ndebele noted that human rights instruments were silent of the issue of menstrual health which she said was not commendable.
She said the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Sexual Reproductive Health Policy, Public Health Act and the Children Protection Act do not say anything about Menstrual Health Management yet it was an important aspect on women and girls health.
“These conventions and Acts talk a lot of sexual and reproductive rights of the girl child but they fall short of Menstrual Health Management which is rather disturbing,” she said.
Menstrual Health Management according to SNV Zimbabwe is a vital component that is a part of water supply, sanitation and hand washing that need due respect for a healthy nation.
The parliamentarians were encouraged to take back to their constituencies issues about Menstrual Health Management so that communities discuss it openly.
