BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
Period poverty refers to the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management.
Through education and advocacy, we can greatly improve access to hygiene facilities and products, reduce stigma and shame, and encourage education about menstruation.
Periods are often associated with shame and stigma, as well as poor menstruation education. Around the world, children miss school while menstruating due to lack of access in addition to the cultural or social stigma that they may face.
26-year-old activist who has been dubbed the “minister of menstruation”, Candice Chirwa, has made it her life’s work to help end period poverty and help remove the societal stigmas that surround menstruation.
Candice began this unique journey with research for the United Nations in 2017 when she was just 21 years old. She was tasked with finding research on different countries’ policies regarding menstrual health.
Since then, she has made it her life’s mission to help raise awareness about people who menstruate, the struggles they go through, and how best to support them – these include having pad drives and educating young menstruators about their bodies, the importance of keeping track of their cycles, as well as encouraging companies to have period leave for employees.
Candice is on a mission to fiercely change the disempowering narrative around menstruation. Her media presence has been established since 2015 with a core interest in Youth Politics, Gender issues, and Human Rights. She has been featured on various notable media platforms, putting the spotlight on all these issues.
South Africa still has a long way to go in terms of providing menstrual education, but it’s people like Candice who will ignite the fire in others and accelerate the work.
