THE First Lady’s mission to end period poverty in Guyana has commenced. On Sunday last, Her Excellency, Arya Ali, hosted a fundraising event titled, ‘Chari-tea’. The elegant tea party, held at State House in Georgetown, was well received and sought to raise $6 million that will go directly towards making sanitary pads freely accessible to women and girls throughout Guyana. More specifically, the donations made on Sunday will be used to purchase sanitary products which will be distributed to school-aged girls in the hinterland, according to a statement from the Office of the First Lady.
Mrs. Ali had announced the launch of the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative in January, during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle. The first activity was attended by ministers of government, members of the diplomatic corps, along with leading members of the private sector.

It was explained that due to the magnitude of the mission of eliminate period poverty, the First Lady has decided that project will be rolled out in phases, beginning with the provision of sanitary pads to the most vulnerable.
“The gravity of this problem was highlighted in a casual conversation I had with a stranger who pointed out that girls were forced to skip school routinely, and in some instances drop out permanently, because they could not afford sanitary products,” Mrs. Ali told the donors at Sunday’s event.

She emphasised that “This is unacceptable,” and that “No girl should be placed in a situation in which she is forced to [be] absent from or quit school because of her inability to afford sanitary products.”
She noted that period poverty deprives girls of the very education which they need to grasp economic and other opportunities, while highlighting that it can result in harmful psychological effects such as impaired cognitive skills and social isolation.
To bring an end to this undesirable plight, the First Lady believes that there must first be an end to the denial of period poverty, after which conversations around women’s health must be normalised, even in spaces occupied only by men.

A CONCERN FOR ALL

“We must also disabuse ourselves of the idea that menstruation is exclusively a female concern. It is not. It is a concern for all because when girls are deprived of education and economic opportunities as a result of period poverty, it is the entire society which is affected, not just women,” she said.
She said that everyone – civil society, government, and the private sector – has a responsibility to ensure every single woman and girl benefit from safe and hygienic menstrual products and the dignity that this affords. As such, she lauded the efforts of the attendees who would have contributed financially, and challenged them to also raise their voices to end the stigma associated with menstruation. Also speaking at the event was Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, who applauded and expressed deep gratitude to the First Lady for beginning what she hopes will be a national conversation with effective solutions. According to the statement issued on Tuesday, Minister Manickchand has been working closely with the Office of the First Lady to have the sanitary pads distributed to girls via the public schools. She also reflected on the taboo nature of the conversation in and around period and menstrual health.

Once the distribution of free pads commences, Guyana could possibly become the second country in the world to eliminate “period poverty”. Last year, Scotland became the first to provide free sanitary products to women and girls in the country. For centuries, “period poverty” has forced women in all parts of the world to use a series of unhygienic substitutes for tampons and pads, stemming from rags and old cloths, to even socks.
Sunday’s fundraiser was sponsored by a number of private sector companies including DeSinco Trading, Muneshwers Limited, Impressions Branding, The Wine Vault, Reminiscence Guyana, Star Party Rentals, New Thriving Restaurant, NAJAB’s Trading, Hard Rock, Kirk Noel, Gaitri Byropersaud, RS53 Restaurant, Leanne Cakes, Tootie Fruity, Oasis Café, Fab Cakes and Cupcakes, Beauty Blossoms, Kurt Campbell, and Rhea Austin.