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Press statement from the Female Students' Consortium
Students And Youths Working on reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT)
August 28, 2007

The Students and Youths Working on Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT), is a civil institution that provides a platform for students in tertiary institutions to discuss and respond to matters that relate to their sexual and reproductive health. Since its inception in 2003, SAYWHAT has provided students many platforms under different fora to deliberate on their specific sexual and reproductive health challenges.

From the 16th - 19th of August 2007 SAYWHAT held a Female Student Consortium on sexual and reproductive health. SAYWHAT engaged female students from four categories of state-owned and private institutions in Zimbabwe that include universities, agricultural colleges, teachers' colleges and polytechnics. The main objective of this gathering was to interrogate the sexual and reproductive health state of the Zimbabwean female student in tertiary institutions.

In pursuant of SAYWHAT's Sanitary Wear Campaign that was launched in December 2006, the issue of sanitary wear and health care came to the centre of the discussion of the consortium and the female student participants to this gathering noted the following as their challenges;

Affordability

The ever rising cost of branded sanitary wear products has pushed this basic necessity for female students beyond the reach of many. Participants noted that female students being non-income earners have resorted to unbranded and unhygienic substitutes that are readily and cheaply available. Mattress foam rubbers, tissues and newspapers were cited as some of the substitutes female students have used. These materials, health experts say, are hazardous to the health of a woman as they produce chemicals that can easily dissolve in a moist environment. They cause infections and many other complications.

Accessibility

It was also noted that students who are in geographically marginalized locations face a challenge in accessing sanitary wear. Agricultural colleges, mostly, are found in communities that are remote and female students in these institutions cannot conveniently access sanitary wear products. Again, this forces the concerned students to resort to unbranded and unhygienic substitutes.

Availability

The Female Student Consortium noted that sanitary wear is generally in short supply in the country. The students noted that an effort to control the prices of these products has seen many shops running out of this basic necessity.

Lack of information

The Female Student Consortium highlighted that there is lack of information on sanitary wear and health care. Students lack information on selection of the right sanitary wear products, their use and hygienic disposal. There are some mysteries that need to be cleared on the use of some branded sanitary wear products like tampons which participants could not agree on whether they have an effect on one's virginity. They noted that a complete sexual and reproductive healthy female student cannot be if this area remains gray.

Disposal

It came to SAYWHAT's attention that colleges do not have proper sanitary wear disposal facilities and systems. This is posing a serious health threat at campuses when students resort to littering used sanitary wear products anywhere.

The female students shared experiences and mindful of the aforementioned challenges, the discussion culminated in the following proposed solutions;

Due to the prohibitive cost of sanitary wear products, and considering that female students do not have an income, the government must allocate female students grants specifically to cover their sanitary wear expenses. It was also proposed that mechanisms be devised to identify those female students who are disadvantaged financially and, consequently, come up with a scheme to provide them with free sanitary wear.

It was recommended that for convenient accessibility of sanitary wear, these products must be supplied to college clinics for students. The approach must entail negotiating with the manufacturers of branded sanitary wear products to directly supply their products to respective tertiary institutions. This does not only promote accessibility but also cuts the cost of the product through by-passing the retailer.

The SAYWHAT sanitary wear campaign must be intensified to ensure that there is adequate information on sanitary wear use and disposal in a way that guarantees and safeguards the health of female students and that of the general student community

Tertiary institutions of learning must acquire sanitary wear disposal bins and ensure proper maintenance of these facilities

SAYWHAT is proud to announce that it has already started taking steps to remedy the challenges that female students are facing on sanitary wear. Following the deliberations of the Female Student Consortium, SAYWHAT has made an arrangement with a private manufacturer of sanitary pads to supply these products to various institutions of learning. We hope this move will enhance the provision of cheap and accessible sanitary wear in order to ease the challenges female students are currently facing in this regard.

Consequently, SAYWHAT would like to call upon all relevant stakeholders such as the government, the donor community, the private sector, civic organizations, community groups and individuals to come together and provide sustainable responses to these challenges. It is important to note that the challenges that female students face regarding sexual and reproductive health in general and sanitary wear in particular are not insurmountable if all stakeholders work together in ensuring a healthy student community.

Visit the SAYWHAT fact sheet

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