Anita (not her real name) is a Senior 6 student at Groupe Scolaire Butare Catholique in Huye District.
Moise M. Bahati
Friday, March 10, 2023
While initiatives like Icyumba cy’umukobwa (or the girl’s room) built at each school, have led to less stigma and more chances for girls, thousands of women and girls still cannot afford sanitary pads.
Anita is a Senior 6 student at Groupe Scolaire Butare Catholique in Huye District. Anita (not her real name) said having the room at her school has given girls chances they once wished for.
“In primary school, when a girl had her period and stained her skirt, the boys would laugh at her and it made us all uneasy,” she said.
A typical girl’s room has a bed, free sanitary pads, a washroom and budget to keep it operational.
Having the room at the school has changed a lot for girls, who used to miss classes during their period, explains Valentine Tuyishimire, a teacher in charge of the girl’s room at the school.