Staff Writer
Thirty-four young women and girls with disabilities in Hopley, Harare participated in a disability-friendly menstrual hygiene and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) training held at Tariro Clinic last week.
The training, organised under the ActionAid Zimbabwe Girl Supporter Project with support from ActionAid Sweden, provided participants with accessible information on menstrual hygiene, SRHR and their rights, while creating a safe environment for them to discuss their experiences and challenges.
ActionAid Zimbabwe said the programme was designed to address the barriers faced by young women and girls with disabilities, particularly in accessing accurate health information and essential services.
“Disability inclusion is not an add-on, it is central to justice. Every girl and young woman deserves dignity, accessible information, and health services that leave no one behind,” ActionAid Zimbabwe said.
The organisation said the training also sought to promote dialogue around the intersection of disability, gender and access to SRHR, while strengthening participants’ confidence through peer learning and stigma-free information.
Hopley, an urban informal settlement, continues to face challenges linked to limited access to education, economic opportunities and essential services. Young women and girls are also exposed to heightened risks of gender-based violence (GBV), with those living with disabilities often facing additional barriers due to inaccessible information and services.
Each participant received a dignity kit containing a bucket, towel, bathing soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, sanitary pads, undergarments and washing soap.
According to ActionAid Zimbabwe, the kits are intended to help address practical menstrual hygiene needs, reduce period poverty and promote greater acceptance of menstruation as a normal and healthy process.
The organisation said inclusive, rights-based interventions were critical in ensuring that disability does not become an additional barrier to young women and girls accessing health information, exercising their rights and participating meaningfully in their communities.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts by ActionAid Zimbabwe and its partners to tackle inequality, promote gender equality and strengthen the rights and wellbeing of girls and young women in vulnerable communities.