{UAH} Muslim leaders in Uganda break silence on menstrual hygiene
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By Umar Weswala
It all started with two historic events; an orientation workshop on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) held at Tal Cottages in Kampala on 28th June and a Dignity Day launch at the Muslim Headquarters – Old Kampala on 29th June.
Both events were the first of their kind in the Muslim setting and they targeted Muslims from across the divide, and both events were organised with support from Faith in Water under its Dignity for Girls project. Faith water is a UK based organisation that works with faith based schools to improve water sanitation and hygiene for children and communities.
The event at Tal Cottages targeted Muslim clerics and Muslim technocrats. These included Heads of departments from Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), Heads of Muslim education institutions, Heads of Muslim NGOs and Muslim Women and youth leaders.
The Dignity Day launch was more of a public event attended by hundreds of Muslims.
According to the UMSC Secretary for Women and Youth Ms. Radhiyyah Namakula, both events were aimed at improving and protecting the health and dignity of Muslim girls and women through proper menstrual hygiene management.
Namakula says that the events were successful not only because of the high turn-up;
"For the first time in the history of Islam in Uganda, Muslim leaders spoke openly and moreover in support of MHM" she told The Community Agenda.
She was referring to the Mufti of Uganda Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje and the senior members of his administration.
While launching the dignity day, Mufti Mubaje said that unlike the condom distribution issue for which religious leaders had reservations, his administration fully supports the MHM initiative.
"I would like to assure you that on the issue of menstrual hygiene, we are going to move together" the Mufti stated while officiating at the Dignity Day launch.
He said Islam has already catered for the dignity of girls and women under menstruation; citing a Hadith in which Prophet Muhammad praised men who take care of all the needs of their daughters until they mature.
"The needs include Menstral Hygiene Management" the Mufti said.
He also cited the special status granted to Muslim women under menstruation by the Holy Quran and Hadiths, when it comes to performing certain acts of worship in Islam.
To Hajat Sebyala Aphwa, the lead organiser of the Dignity Day launch, the Mufti's assurance was greatly significant to the campaign for the dignity of Muslim girls and women.
She said the dignity day will be celebrated every year on the last Friday of June.
In Uganda, studies show that poor menstrual hygiene management is one of the barriers preventing girls from reaching their full potential.
"It causes many to miss school and perform poorly in class, forcing some to completely drop out" says Namakula, the UMSC Secretary for Women and Youth.
According to a study on MHM in Uganda conducted by SNV in 2012, half of primary school girls interviewed reported missing 1-3 days of school per month and 8-24 days a year. Namakula says Muslim girls constitute a reasonable percentage of the above.
Ms. Kakaire Zainab, an activist from Uganda Muslim Women Vision says MHM wouldn't be such a big challenge to girls if fathers supported their daughters.
She says that there are many fathers who think that their daughters' menstrual issues are none of their business.
"They do not even know the price of sanitary pads and the number of menstruation days in a month" Ms. Kakaire states.
"As long as men do not assume their responsibility of fully providing for the needs of their daughters until they are mature, MHM will remain a challenge" she adds.
Susie Weldon from Faith in Water attended both the MHM orientation workshop for Muslim faith leaders and the Dignity Day launch.
Her organisation has provided free reusable pads to adolescent girls in six selected Muslim founded primary schools.
She says the package also includes training of girls and giving them resources to make their own reusable sanitary pads using locally available materials.
"We are working with Muslim leaders and schools to create MHM centers of excellence" Susie said noting that the centers of excellence will be 'girl friendly schools' with improved sanitary facilities and MHM awareness.
Francesca Stidston, the Deputy Head of Office from UKAID Uganda is a strong advocate of MHM.
While addressing hundreds of Muslims during the launch of the Dignity Day at the National Mosque – Old Kampala, she pledged UKAID's commitment to working together with Muslim leaders to keep girls in school.
She directed her remarks to men involvement in MHM saying that;
"Men have a role to play in breaking stigma around MHM and making sure that girls have access to the materials that they need to be able to go to school even during menstruation".
Stidston noted that faith leaders 'be them Muslims or Christians' have a role to play in raising awareness about MHM issues.
Her view is supported by Mr. Ismail Mulindwa, a Commissioner from the Ministry of Education who is impressed by the fact that Muslim faith leaders have broken the silence on MHM.
Traditionally, the subject of menstruation is surrounded with many myths misconceptions and negative cultural attitudes; for instance menstruating women and girls are wrongly considered to be impure.
Mr. Mulindwa says;
"Such myths and misconceptions must be demystified and I loud the Muslim leadership for taking the first bold step to break the silence".
On January 24th 2015, the Dr. Yusuf K, Nsubuga on behalf of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education issued a letter to all Chief Administrative Officers, District Education Officers, District Inspectors of Schools, Heads of Primary Schools and Heads of Secondary Schools directing them to prioritise menstrual hygiene management issues in the planning and budgeting processes and ensuring full involvement of parents in supporting and providing menstrual hygiene information and materials for the girls.
"All boys and male teachers in schools should be made aware and sensitised to support girl pupils to cope with the challenges that they face during their menstrual periods" Dr. Nsubuga stated in the letter.
With a loose coalition coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Sports, there have been some outstanding achievements in this regard; but to girls based in rural settings, MHM remains a real barrier to happiness and success.
Nabirye Sofia 15 from Iganga is lucky to have benefited from the UNFPA 'Better Life 4 Girls'program through which she got information, free reusable pads and skills to make pads from local materials. But for many of her colleagues, proper MHM remains a dream.
"Many of my friends in other school especially in Mayuge don't even know how pads look like" says Nabirye.
According to Ms. Kakaire Zainab of Uganda Muslim Women Vision, MHM is not only about managing the flow of blood.
"It involves personal hygiene, menstrual material disposal, pain management and psycho-social readiness" she says.
Interventions towards MHM should therefore, not only focus on the distribution of pads. Girls need to be empowered enough to properly deal with the health, physical and psychological issues around MHM.
With the Muslim leadership opening up, Zainab can't hide her excitement;
"It is a step in the right direction" she notes.
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