Janet Mbugua - Menstrual Justice

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HOW EXTREME WEATHER
EVENTS IMPACT
MENSTRUAL JUSTICE

By Janet Mbugua,
Founder, Inua Dada Foundation

I first came to the issue of Menstrual Justice through my work at Citizen TV Kenya. A piece called “Periods of shame” featured two girls who, lacking good sanitary options, used chicken feathers and goat hide as an alternative. That was in 2013 and since then I have been dedicated to delivering safe and dignified menstrual hygiene products, combating harmful stigmas, and advocating for stronger laws and policies to support Menstrual Justice in Kenya through my Foundation, Inua Dada. Menstrual Justice is the push to ensure girls and women everywhere have access to products, information and dignity, to not have their lives disrupted by something so normal and, quite frankly, healthy, such as our periods.

achieving Menstrual Justice is not possible if we do not address the climate crisis.”

What I know to be true is that achieving Menstrual Justice is not possible if we do not address the climate crisis. Women and girls around the world already struggle to access safe and dignified products and facilities to manage their periods. But when climate disasters like floods, wildfires, or monsoons strike, it’s even harder. A lack of clean water makes it more challenging for women and girls to manage their periods safely and this is especially true for women and girls in school. When water is unavailable at school, this affects all learners, but menstruating students (and teachers) can be expected to miss school as a result, further exacerbating disparities in girls’ access to education.

PHOTO: iStock.com/Artush

When families face economic instability, women and girls are expected to make compromises first.”

In addition to unsanitary conditions, climate disasters and environmental changes can lead to economic hardships and disruptions in income. When families face economic instability, women and girls are expected to make compromises first. Not only do they struggle to afford menstrual hygiene products, they are often forced to drop out of school which frequently corresponds to a rise in other issues such as gender-based violence, FGM, child marriage and teen pregnancy. In Kenya, completing secondary education means girls are about half as likely to experience violence and teen pregnancy.

Last September, Kenya held the inaugural Africa Climate Summit and I am hopeful about Africa’s leadership in facing the climate crisis head on. I want to see our girls benefitting from the commitments made. This means keeping girls in school, providing them with the skills to participate and thrive in the clean energy economy. They are our hope for the future.

Intersectionality has come to be used as a buzzword across social change sectors and international development. But we cannot forget its importance. We must act quickly and in doing so, consider the unique ways women and girls are impacted AND how they play a role in climate solutions.

Credit: Doug Linstedt (@douglinstedt) on Unsplash

We must act quickly and in doing so, consider the unique ways women and girls are impacted and how they play a role in climate solutions.”

THE RIGHTS OF
CHILDREN TO
A CLIMATE SAFE
FUTURE

Kate Hampton and Linda Weisert