For those of you who dont know Tabitha Khumalo:SHE has been arrested 22 times, tortured so badly that her front teeth were knocked into her nose and had an AK-47 thrust up her vagina until she bled. Thabitha Khumalo’s crime: to campaign against a critical shortage of tampons and sanitary towels in Zimbabwe, one of the least talked about and most severe side-effects for women of the country’s economic crisis.
So desperate is the situation that women are being forced to use rolled-up pieces of newspaper. Zimbabwe already has the world’s lowest life expectancy for women — 34 — and Khumalo believes these unhygienic practices could make it drop to as low as 20 because infections will make them more vulnerable to HIV. “It’s a time bomb,” she said. The shortage is forcing schoolgirls to stay at home when they start menstruating. (MORE)
THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has finally taken delivery of a consignment of badly needed sanitary towels donated by well-wishers after paying $1.7 billion in import duty.
ZCTU secretary-general Wellington Chibebe said the labour body received the 19 tonnes of sanitary towels, which had been stuck in South Africa for over a month, last Saturday and would soon distribute them to the working women of Zimbabwe through its structures.
The delivery of the pads, which is part of the ZCTU's efforts to ease a crisis most Zimbabwean women are facing, came following an appeal by the Women's Advisory Council (WAC) to sympathisers in South Africa.
WAC had realised that sanitary pads were becoming scarce and that, where they could be found, they were being sold at exorbitant prices. (MORE)
WTF people, this is truly a sad day on our planet, when in this day age
women cant even get basic necessities like tampons. I am at a loss for words... Tampons, this should be some top level UN shit for real. This is straight outlandish, hell if i owned Tampax I'd give away 10 super tankers full of pads just on GP. Support our people, because we are dying faster than you think...Props to: This is Zimbabwe
Support: Dignity Period
"The battle for respect is a global event"
NARO%
9 comments:
truly sad this post made me cringe! thanks for highlighting the plight of a fellow sisters. when will the leadership in zimbabwe ever learn???!
I'm wondering if, instead of fighting for tampons, they should fight to get menstrual cups (Keepers). Instead of needing new tampons every month, one cup lasts over ten years. Made of solid rubber, it's not absorptive, so it could be cleaned thoroughly and shared if necessary.
Let's stop supporting the companies that won't support us.
Sage,
you are among the many who has mentioned alternatives to preventing situations like this in the future.
Identifying soulutions
Planning and Execution
sounds so simple until we place it into the back drop of whats going on in Africa. I for one would like to see/create/be apart of something which actively works to provide solutions in places like Africa, South America, or New Orleans. A no BullShit organization foucusing on actions, working with discipline and compassion for a better world...
There has to be a way to organize (within and also outside of race) to resolve an issue like that. In the same way Oprah is building schools it is simple enough for us to get supplies donated and sent. I realize the impact of Government corruption but someone of influence can put some heat under their butts. That just doesn't make any sense.
Excellent points across the board, I think for a start that we need to create on going projects with subsidiary ripples: Like Oprah's school building and lets say a company like Catepillar providing not only equipment but training as well in the areas of civil engineering. Things like this create homes and roads which lead to the schools that Oprah is building, creates family structure, creates the ability to improve/create skills which are necessary for civic structure, its things like this which give the people an opportunity to make thier own situation better. On Govt. corruption these are things which need to be handle decisively by the international community its a disgrace to HUMANITY some of the things which have come to pass in Africa and for the most part have been ignored by the international community. I know these things because I have worked/work for/with/next to some of the many institutions which could effect immediate continual change in the region, if they wanted to...
As for organization and the identification of race. I personally believe that organization is just a matter of discipline, will, and the ability to follow through and be consistent on a global scale (its pretty easy actually). The issue of "RACE" ethnicity, color, is an issue about truths. Things WE as humans need to address, exchange, evaluate, and redefine. Self awareness is the key to enlightenment but this requires a unified unqualified introspection from all of our global brothers and sisters, sans denial, doubt, resentment, and all of the other things that have evolved out of the race.
Thanks for stopping by!
I have just recently attended a conference where Tabitha was a guest speaker, detailing all the stories above and more recently the need for her daughter to have an operation and the costs involved with no NHS available. It will take Tabitha over a year to pay this off, not even allowing her basic living expenses.
The pride and determination of this lady is something to be in awe of and one we could all learn from.
It is a shame that our Governments cannot intervene in the same way they saw fit to go into oil rich nations but this but this is not likely as they have nothing to gain from it even though they are run by dictators and a corrupt government.
I have never seen such a large conference hall moved to tears in the way this one was, men and ladies alike. The conversations on all their tongues in the days and weeks following was the plight of Tabitha and women like her in Zimbabwe.
Following her visit and sebsequent return to Zimbabwe, Tabitha new she was to be arrested again, such a brave, courageous woman. The torture she has been through and will continue to go through just to try and gain basic womens sanitary wear is beyond belief and is something we take for granted in our Country.
The government in Zimbabwe are also to start intercepting all forms of communications to and from their country including phone calls, emails, mail etc., have they got something to hide and be ashamed of - I most definately think so!
whats been up big daddy -, see u still on point toxic shock like
And you know this!! How you been Mhain!!
They are sending disposable products because a lot of the women in zimbabwe don't have access to clean water and if the re-usable sanitary towels /mooncups aren't properly cleaned - they could cause even worse infections than those caused by old rags and newspapers. They are also using disposables because they are recognised and have been used previously and so women are familiar with them.
It's an amazing campaign!
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