‘Menstruation not a shame’

KEETMANSHOOP – Health deputy minister Susan Ndjaleka said there is no shame in menstruation, as it is natural.

She made these remarks in her keynote address at the commemoration of the 2026 Global Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Day yesterday in Keetmanshoop.

“No girl should, therefore, feel ashamed because her body is developing normally, and no learners should be teased, excluded or humiliated because she is menstruating,” she stated.

Ndjaleka, who doubles as !Nami#Nus constituency councillor continued: “Today, in reference to the theme ‘We can make menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030’, is an opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment to dignity, health, education, equality and the well-being of every woman and girl in Namibia’’. In her message to the girls, she informed them that their periods do not define their intelligence, worth or future.

‘’Your period is part of your life. It is not a limitation on your future,’’ she added.

Addressing male learners, she said they are part of the solution to the challenge girls experience.

She urged them to replace teasing with understanding, embarrassment with respect and myths with facts. “Be champions of dignity, speak respectfully about menstruation, and support your sisters, female classmates and friends,” she urged the group. Turning the attention to schools, Ndjaleka said these educational institutions should strive to create supportive environments where learners can access appropriate menstrual products, water, sanitation and hygienic facilities and further seek assistance when needed.

“A school where girls can manage menstruation safely and confidently is one that protects learning, dignity and equality,” she said.

She urged parents and the broader community to prepare children for menstruation before their first period.

Ndjaleka said the community as well as traditional and religious leaders should help change social norms by speaking openly and respectfully about menstrual health. Cayren Engelbrecht, who was recently crowned as Miss Keetmanshoop Secondary School, said her project, Bloom, seeks to create a community where menstruation is not whispered about in shame but rather one where every youth member has the knowledge, support and dignity to speak openly about menstrual health.

“I want our schools to become places where girls don’t hide their sanitary products in shame, and boys and young men show us, ladies, respect and empathy,” she said.

-sklukowski@nepc.com.na

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