Opposition legislator Dr Thokozani Khuphe has urged the Ministry of Finance to allocate ZWL$396 million to provide sanitary wear for 550 000 vulnerable girls across Zimbabwe.
Her appeal highlights the ongoing issue of period poverty, which forces many adolescent girls to miss school due to a lack of access to sanitary products.
While acknowledging the government’s efforts to address the issue, Dr. Khuphe argued that the current allocation remains inadequate, leaving a funding gap of ZWL$185 million.
“The issue I would like to raise concerns sanitary wear. Initially, ZWL$85 million was allocated, and the Minister added another ZWL$126 million, which is commendable. However, the total required to ensure all 550,000 girls receive sanitary wear every month is ZWL$396 million. With ZWL$211 million currently available, there is still a shortfall of ZWL$185 million,” she said.
“Menstruation is a natural process that cannot be paused. We cannot tell these girls to stop menstruating because we lack sanitary products. It is crucial to allocate the full amount to prevent them from missing school. On average, girls miss five days of school each month—or one full month per term—because of period poverty,” Dr. Khuphe added.
She stressed that missing lessons due to a lack of sanitary wear perpetuates educational inequalities, leaving girls at a disadvantage in their studies.
“It would be beneficial to allocate an additional ZWL$185 million, ensuring the issue of period poverty is resolved comprehensively for the entire year. Initially, the funding was sufficient for just three months, and the additional ZWL$126 million extended coverage to eight months. By closing the funding gap, we can ensure no girl misses school due to this issue, at least through 2025,” she said.
