-Reaching Schools and Prisons
Monrovia – In a sweeping effort to combat period poverty, the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) Network has distributed thousands of menstrual hygiene kits to women and girls across Monrovia, targeting educational institutions and correctional facilities as part of International Menstrual Hygiene Day observances.
The week-long campaign, which ran from June 2-12, 2025, brought essential sanitary products first to the Christian Association of the Blind near Roberts International Airport, then to incarcerated women at Monrovia Central Prison, before concluding with a major distribution at the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU). SRHR Assistant Lead Mariah James emphasized the program’s critical role in preserving health and dignity, noting that many Liberian women still resort to dangerous alternatives like rags or newspaper due to financial constraints.
“This marks our third annual intervention addressing what remains a silent public health crisis,” James told beneficiaries at AMEU’s closing ceremony. “From schoolgirls missing classes to detained women lacking basic necessities, we’re systematically eliminating barriers to menstrual equity.” The initiative forms part of SRHR Network’s broader advocacy under the leadership of Garmai Tailay Yarsiah, an AMEU graduate whose global campaigning has spotlighted Liberia’s menstrual health challenges.
Academic leaders welcomed the donation as transformative for female students. “These supplies will remain freely accessible on campus – not as commodities but as fundamental health resources,” pledged Dr. Augurie Stevens, AMEU’s Vice President for Academic Support, while paying tribute to Yarsiah’s alumni loyalty. Student beneficiaries like Evon Weedy testified to the program’s immediate impact: “Previously, unexpected periods forced many of us to abandon lectures mid-session. Now we can learn uninterrupted.”
The prison outreach component particularly highlighted vulnerable populations often overlooked in menstrual health programs. With studies indicating that 65% of Liberian women lack consistent access to sanitary products according to SRHR data, participants urged scaling the initiative nationally. As student Jocelyn Johnson observed, “When pads become as accessible as pencils, that’s when we’ll achieve true educational equality.”
The SRHR Network now plans to expand partnerships with government agencies and private sector actors to institutionalize menstrual support programs, framing period equity as both a public health imperative and socioeconomic justice issue. With this latest effort, Liberia takes another step toward dismantling the stigma and systemic neglect surrounding menstrual health management.
