Exclusive: Senator Orwoba to partner with Meghan Markle in period poverty fight
By Winnie OnyandoNominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has hinted at a possible partnership with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex on a campaign to end period poverty. Speaking to Nairobi News, the senator said she is set to meet Meghan to discuss the issue.
“We have rescheduled to meet Meghan. She runs a programme on period poverty, so that is the connecting point,” Senator Orwoba said.
Ms Orwoba’s participation in the Invictus Games in the United Kingdom brought her into contact with Prince Harry.
Period poverty, a global concern affecting millions of girls and women, is characterized by limited access to menstrual products, education, and healthcare.
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Markle has been a passionate advocate for breaking the silence surrounding this issue and has launched initiatives aimed at providing resources and support to those affected.
Kenya, like many other nations in the world, faces challenges related to period poverty, with girls and women often lacking access to sanitary products, leading to missed school and workdays.
Senator Orwoba’s commitment to addressing this issue aligns perfectly with Markle’s mission. Their combined dedication and influence have the potential to drive significant change in the lives of those affected by period poverty, not only in Kenya but around the world.
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In February, Senator Orwoba was kicked out of a Senate Plenary session for wearing a stained attire. Ms Orwoba would later accuse fellow Senators of subjecting her to period stigma, which she said affects many young women in the country.
“I think I’m dressed as per the standing orders. I’m covered, I have a suit, I have collars, I’m just short of a tie. I’m disappointed because the point of order that is being raised is to try and attack an accident that is natural… I have stained my clothes… I just want to know, while we’re discussing this issue that is not even in the Order Paper, is it because Senators are not women who have periods? Because then maybe I shouldn’t be in this House,” she said.
“This is the period of stigma that is making our girls kill themselves. We have a girl who killed herself because of the same issue that I’m going through, and now I understand because it is the women who are trying to make this a crime. Because maybe it’s Valentine’s Day? Because maybe on Valentine’s Day we’re not supposed to have our periods? I’m shocked that someone can stand here and say that the House has been disgraced, because a woman has had her period?” she went on.
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