As part of efforts to increase school attendance among girls, Oxfam South Sudan has given out menstrual pads and scholastic materials to girls in South Sudan.
Studies have shown that inability of girls to manage their menses at school lead to absenteeism, increased drop outs and early marriage.
The program was funded by UNICEF. This was announced on the verified Twitter handle of the organisation.
Funded by @unicefssudan ,Oxfam provided scholastic materials and complete menstrual hygiene package to support girls as they prepare for national exams. Girls’ inability to manage their menstrual hygiene in schools, leads to absenteeism, school dropout and early marriages. pic.twitter.com/HrakXIeixe
— Oxfam in South Sudan (@oxfamsouthsudan) December 6, 2020
South Sudan has a population of 11.2 million out of which an estimated 3.9 million (32.6) % are aged 10-24, according to UNFPA.
Also, there are up to 2.6 million out of school children in South Sudan, a country that has been plagued by wars and other issues in the last few years.
More disturbing is the fact that more teenage girls die of childbirth than those who finish high school.
Early marriage leads to maternal and child health complications and Sudan has one of the highest maternal mortality ratio in the world, standing at 1150 per 100,000 live births.
The Oxfam gesture is hoped to help improve the situation and help reverse course on the issue on the issue of education of the girl child in South Sudan
