High school teacher Amy Davids is on a mission to break the stigma around menstrual health in schools. Five years ago , the Western Cape-based teacher started the Hygiene Corner initiative. At her classroom's entrance is a table stocked with various products, and pupils can take as many items as needed.
Deodorants, sanitary towels, body lotion, and hair accessories are free. After numerous requests, she recently added styling gel to her collection. "I don't want any learner to have to ask for anything - they should be able just to take what they need.
" Davids funds the initiative herself, but donations are welcome. She is determined to find solutions even if it cuts into her budget. Breaking the stigma "As women, we've all been in a personal emergency.
" Though heavily under-researched, a 2020 study by Rhodes University suggests menstrual stigma has a more significant impact on female participation at school than actual access to menstrual products. The study proposes that young women who feel negatively about issues related to menstruation because of stigmas attached to them, both socially and culturally, are unlikely to use a hygiene corner. A pupil told News24: Growing the network Davids said the long-term change could only happen if menstrual literacy were prioritised at the foundational phase.
Another study by Stellenbosch University suggests that younger girls are more prone to miss school due to their period. In the hopes of inspiring others, Davids chronicles her resto.
