Men Talk: Menstrual Cycle – Blessing or a Curse?

Femme firmly believes that men and boys must be included in the conversation about menstruation, and actively contribute to breaking down the stigma.We are lucky to have met so many men in Mathare who are not only eager to talk about gender equality, but acknowledge the need for intervention.

We asked our Community Outreach Officer Nelson Otieno what he thought about menstruation, and what other young men in Mathare thought. We wanted to find out if they believe it is an important issue to address, and how we should start this very important conversation. This is what he had to say.

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The menstrual cycle is the monthly series of changes a woman’s body goes through in preparation for the possibility of pregnancy. Each month, one of the ovaries releases an egg — a process called ovulation.

But for a long time this issue has been ignored in Africa especially by Men, it is my belief that the menstrual health is an obligation for each of us but the African men have walked away from this issue for a very long time. What I always wonder is menstrual cycle a blessing or a curse to African men?

But if it is curse then it means that our women cannot give birth since the ovaries cannot release the eggs for fertilization .But the curse is not my concern my biggest concerns is that the natural process (menstrual cycle) comes with big problem and challenges to young girls in Kenya and in Africa at large, For young girls they do not understand the changes that are happening in their bodies since this is an  issue  that they cannot discuss with their Mothers and the issue is regarded as a taboo to discuss with men. Another main issue is that the access of sanitary towels is an issue so girls and women use anything from rags to feathers, from cotton wool to old cloths and imagine when the temperatures are high the way they are in sub Saharan Africa, this means that when girls are on their cycle it means that they cannot go to school hence their performance are lower compared to their male counter parts. 

As a man I feel more obliged, and I believe it is my responsibility to see that women can have access to sanitary towels, and that they are not disempowered because of nature, and what is beyond their control.

A girl absent from school due to menstruation for four days in 28 days (a month) loses 13 learning days, equivalent to two weeks of learning, in every school term. It is estimated that within the four years of high school the same girl loses 156 learning days equivalent to almost 24 weeks out of 144 weeks of learning in high school. Consequently, a girl child potentially becomes a “school dropout” while she is still attending school. In addition, the girl child has to deal with emotional and psychological tension associated with the menstrual process. As a result, menstruating girls opt to stay at home due to lack of facilities to help them manage their periods than go to school

Nelson Otieno

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