In a historic attempt to end period poverty in Guyana, First Lady Arya Ali kicked off her campaign with a fundraising initiative held Sunday at State House – the official residence of the First Family.
In January this year, the First Lady officially announced the launch of her Periodic Hygiene Initiative which aims to end period poverty by making sanitary pads accessible to women and girls for free.
The Charity event, attended by Government Ministers, the diplomatic corps, and leading members of the private sector, was the first of a series of fundraisers organized by the Office of the First Lady.
Donations for Sunday’s event totaled $ 6 million – all of which will be used to buy sanitary products that will be distributed to school-age girls in the hinterland.
Due to the size of such an undertaking, the First Lady has decided that the project will be phased, starting with the provision of sanitary pads for the most vulnerable.
“The seriousness of this problem was highlighted in a casual conversation I had with a stranger who pointed out that girls were forced to drop out of school regularly, and in some cases permanently left, because they could not afford sanitary products.
“This is unacceptable. No woman should be put in a situation where she is forced to leave school or give up due to her inability to afford sanitary products, ”Mrs Ali told donors at Sunday’s event .
She pointed out that period poverty deprives women of the exact education they need to seize economic and other opportunities, highlighting that it can lead to harmful psychological effects such as impaired cognitive skills and social isolation.
To end this unpleasant situation, the First Lady believes that denial of period poverty must be ended, after which conversations about women’s health must be normalized, even in places where only men live.
“We also have to disable ourselves from the idea that the menopause is a female-only concern. I am not. It’s a concern for everyone because when women are deprived of educational and economic opportunities as a result of poverty of time, it is society as a whole that is affected, not just women, ”she said.
He said everyone – civil society, government, and the private sector – has a responsibility to ensure that all women and girls benefit from safe and hygienic menstrual products and the dignity this affords.
As such, he praised the efforts of attendees who would have contributed financially, and also challenged them to raise their voices to end the stigma associated with menstruation.
Also speaking at the event was Education Minister Priya Manickchand who commended and expressed deep gratitude to the First Lady for starting what she hopes will be a national conversation with effective solutions.
Minister Manickchand works closely with the Office of the First Lady to distribute the sanitary pads to women throughout the public schools and to reflect on the taboo nature of the conversation during and around the period and menstrual health. He announced that the Ministry of Education will begin research to determine the impact of phase and period poverty on education.
“The Ministry will continue to support efforts aimed at ending period poverty and ensuring our girls and women have equal access to educational and other opportunities,” said the Minister.
The event was sponsored by: DeSinco Trading, Muneshwers, Branding Impressions, The Wine Vault, Reminiscence Guyana, Star Party Rentals, New Thriving Restaurant, NAJAB’s Trading, Hard Rock, Kirk Noel, Byropersaud Garage, RS53 Restaurant, Leanne Cakes, Tootie Fruity, Café Oasis, Fab Cakes and Cupcakes, Beauty Blossoms, Kurt Campbell, and Rhea Austin.