Introduction:

The impact of menstrual vulnerability in Senegal on the health and well-being of schoolgirls and women is a serious and real problem, causing considerable damage to the health and well-being of Senegalese girls and women. Access to sanitary pads remains difficult for many Senegalese girls and women, due to their high cost and the social stigma surrounding menstruation. Women do not have access to clean, safe menstrual hygiene products, and due to economic constraints they also face a lack of adequate sanitary facilities,

This article looks at the detrimental impact of menstrual insecurity on the health and well-being of young girls and women in Senegal, highlighting the reasons for it and underlining the importance of finding sustainable solutions to enable these women to menstruate with dignity.

Root causes

In the Senegalese context, menstrual poverty is generally caused by several factors:

• The prevalence of economic poverty in the country means that many girls and women cannot afford to buy expensive menstrual hygiene products such as tampons or sanitary pads.

• Lack of knowledge about menstrual hygiene: some women are not informed about how to manage their periods hygienically, which sometimes leads to infections and health complications.

• Lack of appropriate sanitary infrastructure: in some parts of Senegal, schools and community facilities lack clean toilets and water points to enable girls and women to wash and change their sanitary products properly.

• Cultural beliefs and taboos: in some communities, menstruation is still considered impure or shameful, which can lead to the stigmatization of girls and women during menstruation and prevent them from talking about it or seeking help.

• Lack of comprehensive education: limited access to education leads to a lack of awareness and understanding of the importance of menstrual hygiene, as well as the rights of girls and women to safe and affordable menstrual products.

• Economic constraints: menstrual precariousness is exacerbated by poverty and unfavorable economic conditions, making it difficult for girls and women to meet their basic menstrual needs.

• Religious practices

Certain religious practices can restrict or limit access to menstrual hygiene products, which can lead to additional difficulties for the girls and women who practice them.

It’s important to stress that these causes are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, making menstrual precariousness a complex problem that requires a multifaceted approach in order to remedy.

Consequences:

The consequences of menstrual poverty for Senegalese girls and women are manifold. They are both physical and psychological.

Firstly, the use of menstrual hygiene products is often unaffordable for girls and their families, forcing them to resort to less hygienic and less comfortable alternatives.

In addition, the social stigma surrounding menstruation leads to reduced self-confidence and self-esteem among women, as well as social exclusion. The taboos surrounding menstruation also contribute to a lack of acceptance of this natural state, with many young girls shying away from discussing menstruation with their parents… Parents too, not wanting to abandon their principles, communicate little or not at all on these subjects, which are so close to sexuality.

Menstrual poverty also has consequences for women’s reproductive lives. Women without access to menstrual products find it difficult to manage their periods in a regular and predictable way, which hampers women’s daily lives and affects their family planning. and increases the risk of unwanted pregnancies.

This leads to a drop in their self-confidence and a reluctance to participate fully in their school activities during their periods.

The impact of menstrual precariousness on girls’ schooling is significant. Many of them experience stigmatization and shame during their periods, leading to absences or lateness at school. Some girls even prefer to stop going to class altogether during their periods, looking for excuses to stay at home. This interrupts their education and has long-term repercussions on their personal growth and access to future opportunities.

Due to the lack of access to hygiene products, many women in Senegal are forced to use unhygienic alternatives, such as rags, scraps of cloth, etc. These alternatives make it difficult to maintain intimate hygiene during menstruation, increasing the risk of infection, irritation or unpleasant odor.

These practices lead to infections and more serious health problems, such as urinary tract infections and vaginal infections.

Menstrual precariousness also has a psychological impact on women. The social stigma surrounding menstruation can lead to shame and low self-esteem among women who can’t afford to buy hygiene products, or who face difficulties in obtaining them. This affects their self-confidence, their participation in education and employment, and their overall mental health. The lack of adequate sanitary facilities, such as clean, private toilets, further complicates the management of menstruation for young girls, especially in schools, leading to embarrassment, anxiety and feelings of low self-esteem.

Initiatives to combat menstrual vulnerability in Senegal:

Non-profit organizations and associations are working to provide free or affordable menstrual hygiene products to women in need. Awareness campaigns are also run to break taboos and promote education about menstrual health.

However, much remains to be done to solve this problem.

What can be done?

Several actions need to be taken:

• Focus on awareness-raising: It’s important to raise public awareness of the importance of menstrual hygiene, and to break the taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation. This can be achieved through awareness-raising campaigns in schools, communities and the media.

•  Cost reduction: Ways should be found to reduce the cost of sanitary pads so that they are more accessible to Senegalese women. This could be achieved through government subsidies, partnerships with non-profit organizations or the creation of assistance programs for the most vulnerable women.

• Local production: Encouraging local production of sanitary pads can help reduce costs and stimulate the local economy. Women could be trained to make low-cost or reusable sanitary pads, giving them access to reliable and affordable menstrual hygiene products.

• Menstrual hygiene education: Providing women with comprehensive menstrual hygiene education is essential. This includes learning good hygiene practices, menstrual management and how to prevent infections.Fight poverty to ensure that all Senegalese women have access to basic menstrual hygiene products and adequate menstrual health.

• Fight poverty to ensure that all Senegalese women have access to basic, high-quality menstrual hygiene products and adequate menstrual health.

Conclusion:

Ensuring universal access to adequate and affordable menstrual products, understanding the causes and consequences of this problem, and meeting the challenges of reducing it, are essential to improving the health and quality of life of the girls and women concerned.