AHF urges wider access to menstrual products for Jamaican schoolgirls

Period poverty remains a barrier to education and health for Jamaican girls, AHF representatives said during a Menstrual Hygiene Day discussion focused on school attendance, stigma and access to sanitary products.

Alexia Lamont Edwards, AHF outreach and testing officer and Girls Act lead, said period poverty includes both the inability to buy or obtain menstrual products and the absence of reliable information about menstruation and hygiene. She cited a UNICEF survey indicating that one in four girls from lower-income communities misses school monthly because of period-related challenges. A Ministry of Health survey, she said, found that only 30 per cent of schools are able to provide free pads.

Sia Summerland, AHF country programme manager, said the issue is difficult to measure because many girls are embarrassed or afraid to speak openly about menstruation. She said period poverty may not affect a girl every month, but inconsistent access can still disrupt learning and lead to unsafe practices, including reusing disposable products.

The discussion also highlighted discomfort at school, with 95 per cent of Jamaican teens reportedly saying they feel uneasy attending classes while on their period. AHF representatives linked that discomfort to limited information, stigma, inadequate bathroom facilities and water shortages during drought conditions.

They said schools often step in when girls ask guidance counsellors for pads, but argued that access should be treated as a policy matter. Government plans for pad dispensers in schools were welcomed, while the representatives also pointed to cost pressures. Although GCT was removed from menstrual products in 2012, a 20 per cent import duty remains, and a pack of pads can cost about $400. Some girls may need two or three packs per cycle.

AHF said its school sessions cover the menstrual cycle, hygiene, period poverty and advocacy. Boys are included in some sessions, though girls-only discussions are sometimes used so students can speak more freely. The Girls Act programme, described as a global AHF initiative, supports girls and young women to remain in school and reduce risks linked to HIV, STIs and unplanned pregnancies. The public was encouraged to donate and help normalise conversations about menstruation.