Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) is essential to the well-being and empowerment of women and adolescent girls. To effectively manage their menstruation, girls and women require access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, affordable and appropriate menstrual hygiene materials, information on good practices, and a supportive environment where they can manage menstruation without embarrassment or stigma (World Bank-Water Brief 2022). The onset of menstruation means a new phase – and new vulnerabilities – in the lives of adolescents and ought to be treated as a normal and healthy part of life for most women and girls. However, in Migori County, just like other African societies, the experience of menstruators continues to be constrained by cultural taboos and discriminatory social norms. Lack of information about menstruation leads to unhygienic and unhealthy menstrual practices and creates misconceptions and negative attitudes, which demotivate, among others, shaming, bullying, and even gender-based violence. Gender inequality, discriminatory social norms, cultural taboos, poverty and lack of basic services like toilets and sanitary products can all cause menstrual health and hygiene needs to go unmet.
To mitigate these effects, Blue Cross Nyatike Community Development Programme (BCNCDP) is implementing and advancing MHM agenda through a market led integrated three pronged approach project. This is a two year funding through corporative agreement with the USAID Western Kenya Sanitation Project (WKSP) to accelerate the implementation of the MHM policy by increasing access to information by breaking the silence and demystifying the myths and taboos on MHM, promoting demand for and access to MHM products by catalyzing the market and, ensuring safe and hygienic management and disposal of MHM products using the multi-sectoral approach (by involving private sectors and County Government through the respective structures and levels). The project is implemented in 10 wards of Awendo, Kuria East and Suna East Sub Counties of Migori County with an overarching goal of increasing access to and uptake of market based improved MHM products, services and disposal at the Household level by addressing the following objectives:
Objective 1: Improved knowledge and information on MHM in Suna East, Awendo and Kuria East sub Counties by providing information on Menstruation to 42946 men, women, girls and boys by the end of 24 months.
Objective 2: Increased availability of MHM products and services that address the needs of targeted 8589 HHs in Suna East, Kuria East and Awendo Sub Counties by the end of 24 months
Objective 3: Sustained innovative waste handling, collection and disposal in the targeted 3 sub counties to ensure a clean healthy environment for all citizens by the end of the project
PROGRESS.
BCN through funding from WKSP –USAID implemented interventions aimed at improving knowledge and information on Menstrual Hygiene Management to women and girls and their social networks while also ensuring there is increased availability of MHM products and services such as assorted menstrual hygiene materials that address the needs of girls and women. The project conducted activities in the three sub-counties of implementation (Awendo, Kuria and Suna East). Below are the descriptions of the key intervention outputs.
To deliver on the overarching goal of increasing access to and uptake of market based improved MHM products, services and improvement of MHM waste disposal at the Household level, BCN partners with the County department of health through its community health systems so as to be able to empower the households and individuals with information on MHM. During this period of implementation, the project conducted the following interventions focusing on access to information on MHM and access to products while also establishing the options of waste management