Schoolgirls in the greater Bushenyi region of Western Uganda will soon have a reason to stay in school longer when the construction of a factory to produce reusable sanitary towels is completed.
Breaking ground for the factory on Friday, 21 June 2019, the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, hailed Bushenyi Woman MP and also Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mary Karooro Okurut for taking on the mantle to build the factory.
Kadaga argues that reusable pads are often cheap and convenient since they can be used several times when the girls are in their menstrual cycle.
“I am happy that the issue of girls’ education is taking centre stage in the country and I thank Hon. Karooro Okurut for the initiative that is going to enable many girls to study,” Kadaga said.
The park has a skills training section for youth, sanitary pads processing section and another section for fruit processing.
The factory worth 800 million shillings aims at producing quality and affordable re-usable sanitary pads with the aim of making them available to school going children.
Okurut who is also the Bushenyi District Woman MP says that the factory is aimed at ensuring that hundreds of girls who have been dropping out of schools can remain in school without any hindrances.
Many girls in the rural areas are forced to skip school during their monthly periods to avoid both the high cost of pads. Some girls also accept monetary offers from men to help them buy sanitary towels.
