Kenyan women defy fishing taboos as climate change threatens Lake Victoria
Kenyan women are breaking fishing taboos on Lake Victoria as climate change impacts fish availability.
Al Jazeera English1 min read
Myanmar military regime widens sanitary towel ban, claiming rebels use them for first aid
TL;DR
Myanmar's military regime is expanding its ban on sanitary towels, claiming they are used to treat wounded resistance fighters. Local activists report that this move is part of a broader strategy to cut off supplies to insurgents amid ongoing civil conflict.
Key points
- Myanmar's military expands ban on sanitary towels
- Claim that products are used for treating wounded fighters
- Part of a broader strategy to cut off supplies to insurgents
- Ban began in August and has been expanded in 2023
- Activists highlight the taboo around menstruation
Myanmar’s military regime is expanding its ban on the distribution of period products, claiming they are being used to treat wounded resistance fighters, according to local activists.
The south-east Asian country has been locked in civil war since 2021, when the military usurped the democratic government and launched a violent crackdown on dissidents. Artillery fire, the burning of townships and arbitrary arrests have become common in the years since then.
Thinzar Shunlei Yi, a director at Sisters2Sisters, a women’s rights collective that supports fighters, said: “The [military is] saying menstrual products are used by the People’s Defence Force for medical reasons and as support for their feet and boots to absorb sweat and blood.”
There has been no official communication from the military government on this, but the blockade – thought to be part of a broader effort known as “four cuts”, which is designed to deprive insurgents of basic supplies – began in August in certain areas where opposition forces have control. Transporting pads across the bridge that connectsSagaing with Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, is completely prohibited.
The ban has been expanded this year and was likely to be more widespread than many people thought, said Thinzar Shunlei Yi, because of the taboo around talking about menstruation.
Meredith Bunn, founder of the medical aid charity Skills for Humanity (SFH), said anyone who had ever worked in combat medicine knew that sanitary towels could not be used to treat gunshot wounds or even lacerations.
“A sanitary pad wouldn’t stay in place, wouldn’t soak enough blood and wouldn’t keep the area [clean],” she said, blaming the ban on “completely uneducated, misogynistic fools within the military”.
Unicef workers distribute sanitary pads and underwear in the Tar Ga Ya camp for internally displaced people in Myanmar. Photograph: Unicef
Henriette Ceyrac, who founded a period education organisation, Pan Ka Lay, in Myanmar before it was forced to close a few years ago, said women were having to use unsafe alternatives such as rags, leaves or newspaper, which exposed them to illness.
“It can cause urinary tract infections [UTIs], reproductive tract infections; just a lot of discomfort and pain,” she said.
Q&A
Why is Myanmar's military banning sanitary towels?
The military claims that sanitary towels are being used by resistance fighters for medical purposes.
What is the 'four cuts' strategy in Myanmar?
The 'four cuts' strategy aims to deprive insurgents of basic supplies, including sanitary products.
When did the ban on sanitary towels in Myanmar begin?
The ban began in August and has been expanded in 2023 to cover more areas.
How are activists responding to the sanitary towel ban in Myanmar?
Activists, such as Thinzar Shunlei Yi from Sisters2Sisters, are highlighting the ban's impact and the taboo surrounding menstruation.
