Alex shares how his experiences as Irise’s Enterprise Project Manager have enabled him to better talk with the women in his life about menstruation
Alex started talking about menstruation with his wife and sisters to help him understand their lived realities. At first, he thought that everything about menstruation was taught in biology classes in schools but when he joined Irise, he realized that there was much more than what is taught in class. He also realized that many men do not know how important supporting girls during menstruation is even though they are the ones who often control the household spending.
He noticed that women around him had always kept quiet about their experiences and learned that male healthcare providers often do not know how to handle menstrual issues because it is still considered a taboo.
As a brother/husband/father-to-be, Alex now knows he can support women by talking with them about what they go through during their periods and ensuring that women around him feel comfortable and free to have such conversations with him. He has bought reusable pads for his wife to try and is helping his sisters access safe sanitary products during their periods.
Alex firmly believes that menstrual hygiene should be part of the education curriculum in schools because, speaking from experience, students are not provided with enough knowledge about menstruation and puberty.
As a man who works in menstruation, he tells boys to be supportive of girls who start or have their periods. Boys do not understand how painful it is when they laugh at girls for starting their periods or make jokes like ‘she has drawn the map of Uganda’ when a girl has stained her clothes with period blood.
As for the men themselves, because they are often the breadwinners they are the ones who often end up buying pads. They often think that if they buy one packet of 8 pads for their daughters it will last them a whole school term. If men understood their daughters’ experiences during menstruation they would be able to better provide for their daughters financially.
As for the policymakers, who are often mostly men, they should develop policies to include menstrual health education in primary schools, high schools and universities and work to make affordable products available to all women and girls.
He noticed that women around him had always kept quiet about their experiences and learned that male healthcare providers often do not know how to handle menstrual issues because it is still considered a taboo.
As a brother/husband/father-to-be, Alex now knows he can support women by talking with them about what they go through during their periods and ensuring that women around him feel comfortable and free to have such conversations with him. He has bought reusable pads for his wife to try and is helping his sisters access safe sanitary products during their periods.
Alex firmly believes that menstrual hygiene should be part of the education curriculum in schools because, speaking from experience, students are not provided with enough knowledge about menstruation and puberty.
As a man who works in menstruation, he tells boys to be supportive of girls who start or have their periods. Boys do not understand how painful it is when they laugh at girls for starting their periods or make jokes like ‘she has drawn the map of Uganda’ when a girl has stained her clothes with period blood.
As for the men themselves, because they are often the breadwinners they are the ones who often end up buying pads. They often think that if they buy one packet of 8 pads for their daughters it will last them a whole school term. If men understood their daughters’ experiences during menstruation they would be able to better provide for their daughters financially.
As for the policymakers, who are often mostly men, they should develop policies to include menstrual health education in primary schools, high schools and universities and work to make affordable products available to all women and girls.
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