Uganda, Kampala: the agony of being female - menstrual hygiene and public toilets

The lack of proper places for disposal of used sanitary pads is one of the overlooked practices prevailing in modern offices in Uganda. This is aggravated because many offices do not have “women’s only” toilets, and even if they do, the toilets are often not secure.

The Public Health Act, 2000, Chapter 281 states that privacy must be provided for by labeling whenever communities have both sexes working together. This also covers private business offices, but it is a “much flaunted provision”, says Dr Mesach Mubiru, director of health services at Kampala City Council (KCC).

To save money, some of the contractors managing KCC operated toilets, employ only one male attendant. “There is no attendant on the ladies side to collect money or wash the toilets. How can a man clean ladies' toilets," asked Mr. Mohammed Kirumiira, KCC chief health inspector. Women complain that the toilets get blocked because there are no bins to dispose of sanitary pads.

The situation is even worse for the disabled. Apart from the big star hotels in Kampala, there is only one office building (Workers House) that has public toilets that cater for them.

Related publication. Tjon A Ten, V. (2007). Menstrual hygiene: a neglected condition for the achievement of several Millennium Development Goals. Brussels, Belgium, Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA). Download here

Related news: Breaking the silence on menstrual hygiene in Bangladesh, Source Bulletin, Feb 2008 ; Uganda, Kenya: lack of sanitaries force girls out of school, Source Weekly, 9 Mar 2004

Source: David Mugabe, East African Business Week (Kampala) / allAfrica.com, 28 Jan 2008

Keywords

• Sanitation - On-site sanitation
• Gender
• Sanitation - Hygiene promotion