St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew has extended his wishes to the First Lady Diani Prince – Drew for joining the other First ladies at the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative which was led by First Lady Arya Ali of Guyana.
At the gathering, First Lady Diani Prince Drew was conjoined by the First Lady Eloise Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines and First Lady Ann Marie of the Bahamas. The initiative was observed on Monday, Feb 26, 2024 at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana.
While, extending greeting to his wife PM Drew wrote, “My beautiful wife, First Lady Diani Prince-Drew, along with First Ladies Eloise Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Ann Marie Davis of the Bahamas, were honoured guests at the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative spearheaded by First Lady Arya Ali of Guyana on February, 26th, 2024.
Reportedly, the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative was championed by the Office of the First Lady of Guyana in September 2021 and has been committed to eradicate period poverty in the region.
As per the sources, First Lady Ali objectives to ensure that every girl has access to essential menstrual hygiene products that emphasised the importance of dignity and inclusivity.
PM Drew also wrote, “My wife and I commend First Lady Ali’s initiative for its significant impact on the lives of thousands of women and girls.”
The First Lady Ali of Guyana highlighted the ongoing challenges at the event that also considered the lack access to resources and facilities for managing menstrual cycles among Caribbean girls.
The First Lady mentioned the impact of stigma on cultural perceptions surrounding menstruation that often leads to the exclusion of girls and understate their confidence and social status.
First Lady Diani Prince-Drew enlightened about the importance of destigmatizing discussions around menstrual hygiene and identifying period poverty as a pressing issue affecting vulnerable females.
She praised First Lady Ali and her initiatives that impacted significantly on the lives of thousands of women and girls, stressing the urgency of advocacy and engagement to safeguard their well-being.
Considering this, the First Lady Diani Prince-Drew stated, “There still exists today stigma around discussions related to menstrual hygiene. As a result, we fail to properly identify period poverty as a critical issue affecting girls and women.”
Lady Diani added that not being able to afford or have access to sanitary hygiene products is an issue that can be deliberating physically and mentally for vulnerable females.
First Lady Diani also mentioned that this is a private problem that demands urgent advocacy and engagement to safeguard the well-being of those who menstruate.
“I commend First Lady Arya Ali’s Menstrual Hygiene Initiative for making a difference in the lives of thousands of women and girls and is an example of the importance of gender sensitivity as we seek to improve the lives of others and empower women,” said First Lady Diani Prince-Drew
First Lady Prince-Drew is known for her dedication to the arts, social justice and empowering women. She expressed her commitment to women’s empowerment in her adopted home of St Kitts and Nevis as she pledged to support non-governmental and charitable organizations in these areas.
As per mentioned by the First Lady Ali, the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative has provided more than 32,000 schoolgirls annually with free sanitary pads and ensured the accessibility irrespective of any socioeconomic background or geographic location.
