Menstrual health: Africa wants to break the taboo of women’s Football

As women’s football grows across Africa, an additional challenge arises: dealing with the taboo surrounding players’ menstrual health.

Kenyan international Esse Akida spent part of her professional career in Europe and noticed a big difference in attitude on her home continent.

“In the teams I played professionally for, we had the option of not playing during our periods, but here in Kenya that was not possible,” Esse Akida told BBC Sport Africa.

“There were teammates who had heavy periods and who could not play during this period. I noticed on my period, but it’s not very comfortable.”

The striker, who is currently a free agent after stints in Greece, Turkey and Israel, began her career in Kenya at clubs such as Matuu and Thika Queens.

His experience in Africa highlights the need for a better understanding of the problem.

“I remember telling one of my coaches that I wasn’t comfortable playing while on my period,” says the 32-year-old.

“He understood that I didn’t want to play because I thought I was a superstar.”

Menstrual health is a topic that the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has been focusing on since 2021, working to combat the culture of silence.

“We don’t even talk about it as a family,” Meskerem Goshime, head of women’s football at Caf, told BBC Sport Africa.

The goal is to help coaches and team staff, who remain predominantly male, provide a more supportive environment in which female players can thrive.

“We had a conversation about the menstrual cycle and the fact that players go through four phases and depending on these phases their performance can vary,” the Ethiopian revealed.

“It feels like a female athlete is treated like a male athlete, but women are not short men. Women are different in terms of physiology.

“The menstrual cycle is considered taboo in many African cultures.

“But when we talk about it again and again, it becomes part of the discussion.

Some African women footballers also face period poverty, and lack of access to sanitary products can impact their progress in the game.

In 2023, Fifa’s Women’s Health, Wellbeing and Performance Project found that around 35% of the continent’s players sometimes use old rags as a substitute.

“In my community, menstruation has stopped girls from taking up football because it is difficult to find money to buy sanitary napkins,” says Akida, from Kenya’s coastal Kilifi region.

“The girls had to find a balance between playing and staying at home. I was lucky to have a mother who supported me.

“All my comrades from Kilifi did not have the same luxury. It was disheartening to see.”

Akida hopes that the efforts of Caf and Fifa will improve the situation of female players, while pleading for African teams to recruit more female staff.

She also calls for African teams to recruit more female staff. “Hire female coaches to look after the players, or at least have more women on the bench,” she added.

“Even though we want tactically gifted coaches, players will be more comfortable discussing these kinds of things with female coaches.

Caf hopes that club football, in particular its Women’s Champions League, will improve the situation of women’s football in all areas.

The annual competition took place for the first time in 2021, with regional events providing eight qualifiers, but there are currently no plans to increase the number of teams competing in the final stage.

“This competition provides a platform for female players to showcase their talent on the continent, thereby raising the profile of the sport in general,” said Ms Goshime.

“It allowed many players to be spotted by European and even African teams.

“I think we don’t always talk about it, but we see a lot of movement within the continent.

In this year’s edition, held last month, TP Mazembe of DR Congo won their first title with a 1-0 victory over former champions and hosts Moroccans AS FAR.

One of the problems encountered was low attendance at the Casablanca and El Jadida matches, and Ms Goshime admits there is “a long way to go” to promote the women’s matches.

However, African players who shine on the international scene help to raise awareness of the brand on the continent.

Zambian striker Barbra Banda was voted footballer of the year 2024 by the BBC and her compatriot Racheal Kundananji became the most expensive player in the world at the start of the year.

Both are stars of the National Women’s Soccer League, the hugely popular soccer league in the United States, and Ms. Goshime believes such success can inspire a new generation.

“It’s a testament to the impact of African players around the world,” she said. »

“It’s a very important message: you can become a global sensation if you play football. »