WSSCC cooperates with UN Women to implement a joint program on Gender, Sanitation and Sanitation in 3 West African countries; Senegal, Niger, Cameroon. The objective of this program is to strengthen health, hygiene and sanitation policies for women and girls in West and Central Africa, change behavior, and promote good economic management practices. monthly (MHM), which aims to fill the knowledge gap on the subject through action-research work. From this collaboration with research groups of the Institute for Training and Demographic Research (IFORD), three studies were born; the first concerns the management of menstrual hygiene among nomads in Niger, the second concerns the management of menstrual hygiene in humanitarian situations with the example of Cameroon and the The third topic is about female genital mutilation with the example of Senegal.
In Niger, the study on the management of menstrual hygiene (MHM)
Maradi, Zinder, Tahoua and Tillaberi. The overall objective of this study was to examine and analyze the behaviors and practices of menstrual hygiene management; their impact on the living conditions of settled and nomadic women and girls in Niger; and finally assess the extent to which menstrual hygiene management is integrated into public policies. The sample retained for quantitative data collection was randomly drawn between women and girls aged 12 to 49 years and men aged 15 to 49 years. A total of 1310 participants (868 women and 442 men). The results show that, during menstruation, (i) women and girls adhere to nutritional, sexual and religious restrictions; (ii) men and boys are less interested and less supportive of women and girls in menstrual management; MHM practice is less common among nomadic women (98%) than among settled women (49%). In all surveyed regions, the proportion of women with poor menstrual hygiene remains above 50%. It is even higher in the Maradi area (73%); Disposable tampons are the most commonly used protection during menstruation because they are considered “safe and hygienic”. Reusable tampons are usually washed with soap and warm water. Very few women use salt for laundry, 17% in Tahoua and 14% in Maradi. At the end of the study, recommendations were made for decision makers, namely:
on the one hand increase the amount of sanitation infrastructure in communities and households – especially rural and urban households – on the other hand, enhance maintenance and conservation of existing facilities; expand interventions to promote good menstrual hygiene management in rural and nomadic areas.
Menstrual hygiene management in humanitarian situations: the example of Cameroon
In Cameroon, research was carried out in refugee camps on the difficulties women face during menstruation and the lack of adequate water supply, sanitation, adequate sanitation facilities and quality in camps. During the study, 2,063 people were interviewed, including 1,079 women. The survey was conducted in the population from 10 to 59 years old. Research shows the lack of sanitation and sanitation infrastructure, providing water tailored to the specific needs of refugee women and girls. The human right to water and sanitation must be accompanied by guarantees of dignity, privacy and security. Only 31% of households said the toilet they used was sexist. 49% of households surveyed said their toilets have no form of maintenance. The difficulties women face during menstruation have a significant impact on their daily lives:
31% (one in three women) did not continue their work and activities during their period; The activities most likely to be affected by menstruation are mainly household and household activities (43.8%), commerce (36.3%), and education/school (29 .7%). In addition, research has shown that the types of toilets that women use do not always guarantee their privacy and safety and do not allow for good management of menstrual hygiene.
Menstrual hygiene management and female genital mutilation: case studies in Senegal
For Senegal, the target populations are women and girls aged 12 to 49 and men aged 15 to 59, residing in the Sédhiou, Matam, Kédougou and Kolda regions. A total of 1,250 people participated in the study (500 women with ablation, 500 women without ablation, and 250 men). According to the study results, women have good knowledge about menstruation, including causes of occurrence, normal menstrual period, duration of menstrual cycle and consequences of poor menstrual hygiene for women. with health. Menstruation is a taboo subject in Senegalese society that is strongly marked by beliefs, myths, religions and communities, which influence the management of menstrual hygiene. Whether a woman is circumcised or not, and regardless of her place of residence, menstrual blood is considered “unclean, unclean, evil substance” and is therefore handled with extreme care. important. Globally, 27% of girls and women report bad behavior negatively affecting their sexual and reproductive health. On the other hand, women who are circumcised are more likely to experience menstrual health problems than women who have not been circumcised.
