Uwimana needs at least Rwf33,000 (about $30) per year to afford sanitary pads for her and her daughters.
She can’t afford this, so the only option for them is the traditional piece of cloth which is washed overnight and worn again. This practice is common for women who can’t afford sanitary products, whose prices range between Rwf500 to 1,000.
“I barely get what to eat for my daughters and I also have to buy sanitary pads. They cost rwf700, that is rwf2800 every month, but sometimes one packet might not be enough for one person,” Uwimana said.
“I know using a piece of cloth is unhealthy but there is no other way of dealing with the situation,” she added.
Anne Ndayambaje is going through the same. She and her two daughters use pieces of cloth too most of the time.
“I taught my daughters how to use pieces of cloth because I barely buy them sanitary pads. That means when they are on their periods, they do not go to school. If there was a way of making pads free for us, we would appreciate it.”
She added that because of the taboo around menstruation, neither she nor her daughters can approach their father to talk about the issue let alone seek financial assistance.
In a move to ease access to menstrual health products, the government of Rwanda scrapped VAT on sanitary pads and tampons in 2019, although their prices generally remained the same.
Olivia Promise Kabatesi, Founder and Country Director of Empower Rwanda – a non-government organisation advancing girls’ and women’s rights, and promoting gender equality – told The New Times that pads are still expensive for rural women despite the tax exemption, given that the majority of them are from poor families.
She indicated that the pads should therefore be affordable for rural women and also educate them on available sustainable options like menstrual cups.
Kabatesi also stated that sanitary pads are a basic right and the biology of women and girls should not limit them from participating in all spheres of life.
“It shouldn’t be a cause for their discrimination which also results from period poverty. It is a basic need and should be free, especially for vulnerable groups like teenage mothers, and poor women,” Kabatesi said.
Kabatesi emphasised on producing sustainable reusable pads and supplying clean water to clean them, support women’s economic empowerment initiatives and give them information on how to manage and seek support for all the health issues that come with menstruation to help rural women access sanitary pads.
Divine Akimana, Country Director of African Talent Outreach and Mentorship Organisation, stated that sanitary pads are a necessity and girls should not miss school because they can’t afford sanitary pads.
“Sanitary pads should be free because they are a necessity. Menstruation period is not something that we bring to ourselves and girls shouldn’t have to hide or miss school just because we cannot afford sanitary pads,” she said.
Akimana told The New Times that the government should help organisations that are making and supplying reusable pads for free. And she calls on girls to act on the issue as well.
“If condoms can be made free, why not sanitary pads? Organisations are making reusable or washable sanitary pads to give to women for free but they need help to make it sustainable and less bureaucratic,” she said, adding that girls need help now. “We have to act and stop talking about it.”