Last week, we were privileged to listen to a health and wellbeing awareness session conducted by UNICEF representatives Elizabeth Oswyn, Bernadette Yakopa and Lavoncher Dotson about Menstrual Hygiene Day which is observed on the 28th of May each year.
The purpose of Menstrual Hygiene Day is to raise awareness on the issues faced by girls and women that affect their day-to-day lives at home, at school and at their jobs. Issues such as lack of access to sanitary products at school or at work, being absent from school and work due to period pains and discomfort, girls and women living with disabilities, stigma about menstruation due to either personal or cultural beliefs, are all due to the limited availability and access to educational and support platforms to drive menstrual health and hygiene awareness.
To address this information and education gap, UNICEF collaborated with other stakeholders to create a PNG-based menstrual health app called, Oky PNG. The app’s primary feature is a calendar for tracking users’ menstrual cycles and gives alerts (reminders) in advance for users to make the necessary preparations to avoid embarrassing or stressful situations at school or at work. The app also features an elaborate sexual and reproductive health encyclopedia with information that was vetted and approved by the PNG Department of Education and PNG Department of Health, to ensure the information is presented in the appropriate context that is relatable to Papua New Guineans, as well contact information for family and sexual health service providers. Since launching on Google Play Store and Apple App Store in 2024, the number of active users is growing steadily among middle-high school girls which is a positive indication that the app is being received well and the number of users will continue to grow.
This important awareness session highlighted the need for creating safe spaces for open conversations and having support systems in place to allow for proper menstrual care. The session also gave our male staff genuine insight into the challenges women face and the role they can play to support or spread the awareness.
As an organisation that values women empowerment, we believe raising awareness about menstrual health is also important for creating and maintaining a safe, healthy and respectful working environment here at SCAL, as well as at home.
We thank UNICEF for this insightful engagement. Let’s continue to break down the barriers and support this cause to promote good menstrual health habits for girls and women in PNG.
