ALBAWABA - Speaker of the Kenyan Senate demanded a woman member of parliament to leave the session for allegedly violating the dress code.
The senator appeared with a spot of blood on her white pants, as if she was in her menstruation.
Kenyan senator Gloria Orwoba entered the session with her pants stained with blood, as if she had her period, while wearing a white uniform, where the blood spot was visible.
The senator reportedly said that she was aware of the red spot on her clothes before entering the session.
A vivid illustration of what period poverty is, esp for girls and women from vulnerable backgrounds.
— Phannie A. Kwegah ?? (@MissKwegah1) February 14, 2023
Provision & accessibility of sanitary products should be a right, the products free to promote proper menstrual health and hygiene.
I support Sen. Gloria Orwoba@MyFlowFoundKe pic.twitter.com/HEElIRbtHN
International media outlets said that she deliberately entered the session in the same clothes, instead of returning home to change, to raise this 'important' issue and to break the culture of shame around it.
Senators, including women, criticized her action, considering that she appeared in an inappropriate manner.
Senator @gloria_orwoba talks to @esauw about why she was asked to leave parliament after walking in with a red stain on her clothes.
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) February 16, 2023
??? https://t.co/R3nxA4QF77 pic.twitter.com/eU3HVbF1HH
It remain unclear if she had deliberately put a spot of blood on her pants, or if she was menstruating. However, after being asked to leave the session, Orwoba did not change her clothes, but visited a school in the capital, Nairobi, to distribute sanitary pads.
Kenyan lawmaker Gloria Orwoba thrown out of Senate for attending session with her white trousers stained red in an apparent menstrual activism campaign.
— Kennedy Wandera (@KennedyWandera_) February 14, 2023
She was to table a motion on law to provide free sanitary pads to end period poverty,@CapitalFMKenya
pic.twitter.com/h7dz4UsEBu
The senator is known for being a fierce defender about menstruation, and she is the creative mind behind a proposal calling for increased government funding for free sanitary pads and feminine hygiene products in all public schools in her country.
