Menstruation is a natural process that every woman or girl who has reached puberty undergoes. Women all over the world are menstruating and it is a sign of good health. It makes it possible to have babies. Without it, there would be no people.
Menstrual Hygiene Day (MHD, MH Day in short) is an annual awareness day on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM). It was initiated by the German-based NGO WASH United in 2014 and aims to benefit women and girls worldwide. The 28th was selected to acknowledge that 28 days is the average length of the menstrual cycle and May being the 5th Month as the average number of days for periods.
This day is celebrated world over; Copper Rose Zambia did not remain behind on this day. In commemoration to MH day, we screened the Oscar winning Indian documentary ‘PERIOD, END OF SENTENCE’ at Numetro Cinema, Arcades, Lusaka, Zambia. The documentary portrays how women manage their period and also allows men to give their view on Menstruation
This event brought about partners who work in MHM exhibit their products and services. It also brought people from different walks of life to come and have discussions surrounding menstruation. It was very encouraging to see men participate in the conversations and also women sharing their views and experiences on menstruation.
Another Zambian documentary produced by Water Aid Zambia was shown. This is a documentary which depicts a traditional initiation ceremony in Western province known as ‘SIKENGE’. It is held when a girl has her first period. The documentary raised dust on girls missing school if they have to undergo the Sikenge which takes about 4 weeks. The traditional teachers emphasized that the ceremony is only carried out during school holidays.
Menstruation is a very important topic as it brought so many people together in one place hence, the reason why we won’t stop talking about it.