Thabitha Khumalo

[Welshcookie 17]

Imagine if there were no tampons or sanitary towels available. Imagine, in desperation, having to use newspapers, old clothes and even tree bark as protection. Imagine having to stay home from school or work for five days every month because you've got nothing else to use to help soak up the blood. Imagine the vaginal infections you'd get and then imagine that your partner beats you because he thinks you've slept with someone else and contracted an STI.

Unfortunately, for the women of Zimbabwe, this is not a situation they are left to imagine. As Robert Mugabe's leadership plunges Zimbabwe deeper into crisis, basic goods like sanitary products are becoming a luxury item only available to the rich.

Today we are joined by one of the Women of the Year 2006, Thabitha Khumalo, who has launched the campaign DIGNITY! Period. to raise funds which will ensure that large quantities of sanitary products can be distributed free of charge to the women of Zimbabwe.

Women of the Year Award

Thabitha Khumalo was awarded the Women of the Year 2006 Window to the World Award sponsored by Pilkington UK plc and presented by barrister, Baroness Helena Kennedy. Believing in something is one thing: putting those beliefs into words and action is another. This award is a salute to a woman whose work and courage, in often dangerous or intimidating circumstances, has opened all our eyes to a world we otherwise would not have understood.

Please see www.womenoftheyear.co.uk for more information on guests, winners and the chance to view live footage from this year’s lunch.

Thabitha & The Rights of Women

- Thabitha is angry that the lack of sanitary wear for women not only threatens women's health but also their dignity: "Ordinary women cannot afford sanitary wear. We are inserting old pieces of cloth or newspapers, but the ink from the newspaper is causing infections, and there is no medication to cure this. It's immoral for the leadership to deny us our biological rights"

- Due to the poor rate of pay in the country Thabitha is not surprised that the situation has reached crisis point "Who in their right mind is going to spend half their earnings on tampons? As it is most people can only afford to eat once a day. Women are being forced to choose between their own health and the survival of their family."

The Issue

• The population of Zimbabwe is 13,000,000 and 60% are women, though many have fled the country in recent years.

• The life expectancy of Zimbabwean women is 34 - the lowest in the world.

• The unemployment rate is around 80%

• The current average minimum wage for a woman in Zimbabwe is roughly £12.50 per month.

This excludes the farm workers, domestic workers and women in the informal economy - their wages are far lower.

• Three-quarters of women that are employed work in the farm, informal and domestic sectors of the economy.

• The current cost of a box of 10 tampons is £3.00. Consumption is on average 3 boxes a month i.e. If this were occurig in this country, a woman on the minimum wage working 35 hours a week would earn £812 per month before tax, and three packets of pads would cost her £583 per month, or 72% of her pre tax pay…

• Therefore, it is nearly impossible for even employed women to afford such "luxury" as sanitary protection.

Why This Is Happening

• The shortages have been caused by the relocation of manufacturers from Zimbabwe to South Africa due to the current investment crisis.

• These products now have to be purchased in South Africa and due to the lack of foreign currency the limited products that are purchased are very expensive.

• Only recently a small manufacturer of sanitary products set up again in Zimbabwe but all raw materials have to be imported from neighbouring countries and with the economic demise in the country all production and retail costs are much higher than they should be.

The Consequences

• The lack of available sanitary products has led to an increase in vaginal infections.

• With the shortage of drugs in hospitals treatments are either unaffordable or unavailable and in some instances the infections caused by unhygienic practices have led to infertility and even hysterectomy.

• This has led to incidents of domestic violence and the fear is that these incidents will increase, due to the lack of spouse/partner knowledge about the difference between STI/STD's and vaginal infections.

• These infections provide an optimal biological environment for the spreading of STI's and particularly HIV/AIDS. In a country where 4 out of 5 married women are HIV+, the consequences of this are horrifying.

• Families are suffering from increasing poverty as mothers and wives are unable to work when they have their periods - this means they are do not earn money to buy food and clothes or to pay for their children's education.

• Girl's education also suffers as they are unable to go to school or college for the week that they have their period.

ACTSA’s DIGNITY! Period. Campaign

ACTSA campaign Dignity Period, working in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.

Aim is to raise money to buy products for distribution by the ZCTU to the most vulnerable women and children, and to increase awareness about the plight of women in Zimbabwe.

What we are asking for:

• Donate one off donation to ACTSA Dignity Period Campaign

• Set up a monthly direct debit to the ACTSA Dignity Period Campaign

• Purchase Dignity Period Campaign wrist bands

• Spread the word to your contacts about the campaign

http://www.itv-thismorning.co.uk/NewsAndFe...=1496&tid=2

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I watched an interview with her today, on leaving Zimbabwe in order to pick up her award she was detained and questioned for 3 days with little food or water, as a diabetic she arrived in not the best of health.

I hope she has great success in her campaign.

[bebop + rocksteady 0]

34 years old....wow.

That would mean I'm almost 3/4 through my lifetime.

So sad.

I wish there was more I could do.

Cass (bebop the great)