28/05/2025
Today, Mufaro Association joins the global community in commemorating World Menstrual Hygiene Day, standing in solidarity with adolescents in Mbare and across Zimbabwe who continue to face structural and social barriers to safe and dignified menstrual health.
Menstrual health is a critical component of adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), yet many young people — particularly girls and gender-diverse adolescents — remain underserved and underrepresented due to persistent policy gaps and implementation challenges within Zimbabwe’s legal and health systems.
🚫 Policy Discrepancies:
Despite progressive frameworks such as the National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy, contradictions in the legal environment — particularly around age of consent for accessing SRHR services — continue to restrict adolescents’ ability to seek care autonomously. This legal ambiguity hampers timely access to menstrual health education, counselling, and essential services.
📉 Barriers to Menstrual Hygiene Access:
🔹 Affordability and availability of menstrual products remain major challenges, especially in high-density communities like Mbare.
🔹 Stigma and misinformation still prevail in schools, homes, and communities, silencing vital conversations around menstruation.
🔹 Limited infrastructure in schools and public spaces, including lack of clean water, privacy, and disposal systems, further marginalizes menstruating adolescents.
🔊 As we mark this important day, we call on policymakers, health stakeholders, and education leaders to:
✅ Harmonize laws and policies to ensure adolescents can access SRHR services, including menstrual care, without fear or restriction.
✅ Expand access to free or subsidized menstrual hygiene products for adolescents, especially those in underserved communities.
✅ Strengthen community and school-based menstrual health education to combat stigma and empower adolescents with accurate information.
✅ Invest in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) infrastructure in learning institutions and community spaces.
Menstrual equity is not a privilege — it is a right. Let us work together to build an inclusive system that supports every adolescent in managing their menstrual health with dignity and confidence.