Stakeholders and Students Push for a Period-Friendly Zambia at Menstrual Health Dialogue

By Alain Kabinda

For generations, menstruation has been treated as a private matter, often hidden behind silence, stigma, and cultural misconceptions. Yet for millions of girls and women, the realities of menstrual health extend far beyond biology, affecting education, health, economic opportunities, and personal dignity.

As Zambia joined the global community in commemorating Menstrual Hygiene Day under the theme "Together for a Period-Friendly World," students and stakeholders gathered at UNICAF University for a dialogue that sought to reposition menstrual health from a personal issue to a national development priority.

Opening the dialogue, UNICAF Vice Chancellor Professor Douglas Kunda underscored the importance of addressing menstrual health as a national development issue requiring collective action from government, academia, civil society, and communities.

                                                             (Prof Douglas Kunda)

Welcoming participants to the Political Economy of Menstrual Health in Zambia dialogue hosted by UNICAF University, Professor Kunda said the commemoration of Menstrual Hygiene Day provided an opportunity to reflect on the broader implications of menstrual health beyond hygiene alone.

"As we commemorate Menstrual Hygiene Day under the global theme, 'Together for a Period-Friendly World,' we are reminded that menstrual health is not only a personal issue; it is a matter of dignity, education, health, gender equality, and socio-economic development," he said.

Professor Kunda noted that while awareness around menstrual health has increased over the years, significant challenges remain, including financing gaps, policy limitations, and barriers that continue to affect girls and women across the country.

He challenged students and participates to move beyond awareness campaigns and focus on practical, sustainable interventions that can improve menstrual health outcomes.

"Today's conversation challenges us to move beyond awareness and toward sustainable action. We must examine the policies we have, the financing gaps that remain, the barriers faced by girls and women, and the opportunities for innovation, investment, and collaboration," he said.

The Vice Chancellor further emphasized the role of higher learning institutions in generating evidence-based solutions and facilitating national dialogue on pressing social and health challenges.

"Universities have a responsibility to generate evidence, shape dialogue, and support solutions that respond to national and community realities. This gathering reflects our shared commitment to advancing menstrual health as a development priority in Zambia," he said.

Professor Kunda commended researchers, advocates, youth innovators, and development partners for contributing to the national conversation on menstrual health and expressed hope that the discussions would lead to stronger partnerships and meaningful action.

He said building a period-friendly Zambia would require coordinated efforts from all sectors to ensure that girls and women can manage menstruation safely, confidently, and with dignity.

"May today's discussions lead to meaningful recommendations, stronger partnerships, and practical action toward building a truly period-friendly Zambia," he said.

This section can be placed near the beginning of your feature story, immediately after the introduction, to provide context and set the tone for the discussions that followed.

The dialogue on the “Political Economy of Menstrual Health in Zambia” brought together researchers, health professionals, students, civil society organizations, youth advocates, and policymakers to examine how menstruation intersects with education, healthcare, gender equality, and economic development.

Opening the event, organizers emphasized that menstrual health is not only about access to sanitary products but also about creating policies, systems, and environments that allow girls and women to live with dignity and participate fully in society.

"Menstrual health is not only a personal issue; it is a matter of dignity, education, health, gender equality, and socio-economic development," participants heard during the opening session.

The gathering challenged attendees to move beyond awareness campaigns and focus on sustainable solutions, including policy reform, financing, research, and community engagement.

And one of the most compelling presentations came from Dr. Edith Nachizya Namukanga, an epidemiologist affiliated with Women in Global Health Zambia and UNICAF University.

                                                     (Dr. Edith Nachizya Namukanga)

Dr. Namukanga highlighted an often-overlooked challenge affecting adolescent girls: menstrual pain.

She revealed that research shows 78 percent of adolescent girls in Lusaka experience primary dysmenorrhea, commonly known as painful menstruation. Across Africa, a systematic review found a pooled prevalence of 62.3 percent.

Despite these high numbers, menstrual pain is frequently dismissed as a normal part of growing up.

"Menstrual pain is often treated as 'just period pain,' yet it affects school attendance, concentration, mental wellbeing, and overall quality of life," she said.

Dr. Namukanga called for menstrual pain to be integrated into Zambia's National Adolescent Health Strategy and urged health authorities to train healthcare workers in adolescent-friendly pain assessment and management.

Among her recommendations were the creation of Menstrual Health Corners in clinics, compassionate school absence policies for girls experiencing severe menstrual pain, and broader menstrual health education that includes pain management alongside hygiene information.

She also advocated for more inclusive research that captures the experiences of girls living in rural communities, girls with disabilities, and those who are out of school.

While discussions about menstrual health often focus on sanitary products, stakeholders at the dialogue stressed that the issue is far more complex.

Youth WASH Ambassador and WASH Consultant Nkosha Kachusha encouraged participants to examine menstrual health through a systems and policy perspective.

                                                                 (Ms.Nkosha Kachusha

She explained that meaningful progress requires understanding how education policies, healthcare systems, water and sanitation infrastructure, social norms, and governance structures interact to shape the experiences of girls and women.

According to Ms. Kachusha, addressing menstrual health effectively means asking difficult questions about accountability, community ownership, and access to services.

She noted that communities themselves must be involved in designing solutions rather than simply receiving interventions developed elsewhere.

"Community ownership is critical. Sustainable solutions come when people are involved in identifying their challenges and shaping responses," she said.

Her presentation highlighted the importance of partnerships among government institutions, researchers, civil society organizations, healthcare providers, and communities.

For many girls, menstruation remains associated with embarrassment, misinformation, and exclusion.

Participants at the dialogue acknowledged that period poverty continues to affect thousands of girls across Zambia. Some miss classes because they cannot afford sanitary products, while others struggle to access safe sanitation facilities or accurate menstrual health information.

Educational performance, self-confidence, social participation, and even future economic opportunities can be affected when girls face barriers to managing their menstruation safely and comfortably.

Health experts argued that addressing menstrual health challenges is essential if Zambia is to achieve broader national goals related to education, gender equality, and public health.

Throughout the discussions, one message remained consistent: menstrual health should not be viewed as a niche issue affecting only women and girls.

Instead, it should be recognized as a development challenge requiring collective action.

Participants called for stronger investment in menstrual health programmes, improved policy implementation, greater community engagement, and increased research to guide evidence-based interventions.

They also emphasized the need to create safe spaces where girls can discuss menstrual health openly without fear of stigma or discrimination.

As the dialogue concluded, stakeholders expressed hope that the conversations would translate into practical action.

For many attendees, the commemoration was not simply about menstrual hygiene. It was about dignity, inclusion, health, and ensuring that every girl can reach her full potential without being limited by a natural biological process.

The challenge now, they said, is to transform awareness into action and ensure that menstrual health becomes an integral part of Zambia's development agenda.