Following unfulfilled pledges by government to distribute sanitary pad to vulnerable school girls, The Democratic Party women league led by thier president Hon. Aisha Waliggo have threatened to mobilize women in various places to litter the streets with thier used sanitary pads to demonstrate government negligence for the girls in school.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday this week in Kampala, the DP women league president said it was absurd for government to make continuous pledges and yet doest fulfil them hence a need for them to step into action.
Hon. Aisha added that in this lockdown government should distribute pads to vulnerable girls to all homesteads in the country just like they did with supply of food during the covid 19 pandemic Notting that girls who can’t afford pads either drop out of school due to the shame it brings or perform poorly because of constant absentia from class during the periods.
“Women have been marginalised which is a huge impact on thier daily lives and long lasting impact socially, economically and on thier well being.” She noted.
She warned that if the government does nothing about the issue, they will be forced to mobilize women from all corners of the country to dispose of thier used sanitary pads on streets as a way of showing their displeasure.
“We are telling government that if at all this pledge is not put into consideration, it is going to be another time when we are going to mobilize all women of Uganda to throw away whatever they use during periods on the streets everywhere and in villages so that by the end of the day they [ government ] really understand.” She said
Speaking on children sent home following a surge in infections especially affecting youth, the national DP women secretary Hon. Nakyanja Annette urged the government to reduce on utility costs and also do away with OTT to craete an enabling environment for children using E-learning.
“Government should help reduce on utilities. Some parents had just paid fees so how have you help to sustain them?” She said.
Reports indicate that many girls drip out of school due to lack of basics such as pads and some get married to men who promise to provide the pads to them.
