First Lady Arya Ali ensuring no ‘period poverty’ in Guyana

MONTHLY MENSES KEEP SOME 800,000,000 GIRLS FROM SCHOOL globally, and
First Lady Arya Ali is on a mission to ensure not a single Guyanese is numbered in the lot.
Recently, she distributed 1,043 cases of sanitary pads to 2,051 secondary school-aged girls at the
Anna Regina Multilateral School in Pomeroon/Supenaam (Region Two) to help beat what is
known around the world as “period poverty”.
The gift from Mrs. Ali, wife of Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, is expected to last the young
ladies for one year under the groundbreaking Menstrual Hygiene Initiative which she said
seeks to end period poverty in Guyana.
“After the countrywide launch of this project, not one of the eight hundred million girls missing
school globally because of period poverty should be from Guyana,” First Lady Ali said. She said
the novelty was birthed from an eye-opening conversation alerting her that many Guyanese
school-aged females, especially those living in the hinterland, were forced to drop out from
school because they could not access, or afford, sanitary products.
“I did not come from a wealthy family, but my single-parent mother instilled in me the
importance of education and now that I am a grown woman, I fully understand and recognise its
value. It was impossible, therefore, for me to sit and not use my Office to fix this problem,” the
First Lady Ali emphasised.
She challenged the female student girls to speak “openly and unapologetically” about their
menstrual health despite lingering stigma on the issue in Guyana.
“But I want to let you know that we must not let society force that upon us. This is about our
health and we must be bold to discuss it at any time and in any forum,”

She continued, “So we must not bury them or pretend that they do not exist to satisfy society and
its patriarchal values. Let us have this conversation about our periods and our health when and
where we need to. And let us do so unapologetically.”
“I want you to therefore recognise, that the advancement of women in society also depends
heavily on the extent to which we, as women, support each other – both through tangible and
intangible means. So, I am making a request as your First Lady for you to continue to support
each other in every way possible. As you continue to support each other, I will be here, as your
First Lady, with my arms wide open, waiting to support you every step of your journey,” Mrs.
Ali promised.
Education Minister, Priya Manickchand who attended the event said despite the menstrual health
taboo here, conversations, though discomfiting, must be encouraged nationwide.
“I know how uncomfortable it is for many of you to talk about menstrual hygiene, especially the
men. But we (don’t) want you to be uncomfortable. We want you to know that this is a natural
part of life and it is a conversation you must become a part of,” minister Manickchand said.
She said educators, officials and guardians must facilitate conversations about women’s health,
which has broader implications for the rest of the society.
Other attendees included Regional Chairperson, Vilma De Silva; Regional Vice Chairman,
Humace Oudit; Regional Education Officer, Nicola Mathews; and a number of school girls from
several secondary schools in Region Two.
The Regional Education Department in Pomeroon/Supenaam will make the sanitary
napkins available to all the secondary schools there for distribution.