Menstruation doesn’t stop with the start of a deadly pandemic

I should first admit I am worried to death like everyone else in this season. I have the privilege of maintaining social distance at the maximum level possible which most Tanzanians don’t and for that, I am grateful to God and my employer. As much as self-quarantine may seem easy, staying inside the house for seven weeks has made me really appreciate the importance of social connections and gatherings. I have started to look forward with excitement to my usual antenatal clinic visits that happen after two to four weeks, just to be able to see nature, noises, faces of fellow human beings, literally the world that seems to be normal like nothing has hit us badly.

My development work for the past year has been about making sure that girls and women have access to quality and affordable menstrual products. This job has put in contact with policymakers, product companies, beneficiaries and a number of key stakeholders in the sector. I have had the opportunity to interact, share and learn some of the untold realities of menstruation in our country. It was, and indeed still is, a great honour for me to wake up every morning thinking about the innovative solutions, whether policy or business strategies, that will ensure that girls and women have safe menstruation and in a dignified manner.

Every year on May 28, we celebrate Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Day globally, a platform to amplify our voices, unify our efforts, challenge our thinking, connect, and most importantly celebrate the achievements. As I was jotting down things for this year especially with the current pandemic, I realised so much will change in this year’s celebrations. The fact that we cannot have the usual celebrations that allow us to engage with decision-makers and other stakeholders face to face in the sector because of the precautions we need to take, like social distancing. However, while the interest of the public and even decision makers is on the pandemic, this does not only affect the MHM sector but rather almost every other sector, which does not stop or go away during the pandemic.

It is important to note that menstruation does not stop during a pandemic, just like other natural human being processes like eating, pooping, sleeping. And hence shifting our focus to just the pandemic is understandable but not enough, we also need to focus on other important issues that do not stop because of the ongoing pandemic, like menstruating. Just in case you have forgotten, let me remind you, and of course myself too on the status of accessibility, availability and even affordability of menstrual products in our country:

· The current sales of menstrual products in Tanzania is estimated to be 10-20 percent of their potential due to lack of awareness, affordability, and availability and choice. (Windward Strategic Ltd, 2018) (1)

· Our market is dominated by disposable menstrual product with only three companies driving over 90 percent of sales by volume and value. Reusable pads and menstrual cups count for less than one percent of consumer sales. (2)

· There is only one Tanzanian manufacturer selling products, which it sells primarily in Dar. (3)

· Over 90 percent of product sales are through dukas, which have the greatest challenges in terms of inventory costs, which has a large influence over the final price, and how the product is displayed and sold.(4)

· Menstrual products pass multiple intermediaries before reaching the consumer. Each channel partner incurs costs and recovers them by adding margins to their sales price, which is estimated at about 40 percent or more. (5)

· Despite the commendable effort done by the government in 2018, which put Tanzania on the map among the group of countries that fights for girls rights and dignity by removing VAT. In 2019, the government revised that decision and re-introduced VAT on MHM products.

Looking at the few facts on the status of product availability in the country, it is clear that a lot needs to be done. And as much as the pandemic is a big threat to us, girls and women have never stopped getting their menstruation every month. So as our leaders and public push for a better solution to the pandemic let’s not stop pushing for things and solutions to what makes us human.

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Rahma Bajun is Project Manager at the Institution for Inclusive Development (I4ID) [email protected]