Martha Karua: Period poverty is stealing girls’ education
By Kiprono Keileb, March 9, 2026People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has raised alarm over the impact of period poverty on girls’ education in Kenya, warning that the lack of access to sanitary products is forcing students to miss school every month. She emphasised that this is a solvable problem that demands urgent government attention and action.
In a statement shared on X on Monday, March 9, 2026, Karua highlighted the scale of the challenge, explaining how it affects learning over both short and long terms.
“Every month, thousands of girls in Kenya make a choice no child should ever have to make, miss school or manage their period with nothing. Over a year, that is 12 weeks of lost learning. Over a lifetime, it is a gap that never fully closes,” she said.
She linked the issue to her governance agenda, pointing out that education and healthcare cannot be discussed in isolation when girls’ basic needs are unmet.
“Number 2 on my governance agenda is free, quality education and healthcare for every Kenyan. But we cannot talk about education access while period poverty is sending girls home every single month. It is not a separate conversation; it is the same one,” Karua noted.
Karua called for the urgent provision of sanitary products in all public schools across the country to ensure no girl is left behind due to preventable barriers.
“Universal access to sanitary products in every public school across all counties is essential, and no girl should be left behind due to this solvable issue,” she said.
She also urged women leaders and all elected officials to prioritise the dignity and education of their female constituents.
“To the 47 Women Representatives, the floor is yours. Use it. To every elected leader, when more than half your constituents are women, their dignity is your mandate,” Karua stated.
Karua concluded by underscoring that Kenya cannot claim to be building its future if it continues to allow girls’ education to be disrupted by avoidable challenges.
“A country that does not clear the barriers standing between its girls and their education cannot claim to be building its future,” she concluded.