Senator Gloria Orwoba is familiar with period shaming in Kenya.
In February, she was kicked out of parliament after attending a session with an apparent blood stain on her trousers.
At the time, Senator Tabitha Mutinda argued that her dress code was "inappropriate and indecent".
However, Senator Orwoba believed that she should not be ashamed of her stain.
"I think people should understand that menstruation is what keeps humanity alive. If we were to stop menstruation, it would be the end of humanity," Senator Orwoba told RTÉ News.
Now, she is speaking out about the problem again after three people were arrested following a period shaming incident at the Brown's Cheese Company in Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
This week, Senator Orwoba posted on social media about a distress call that she had received from one of the employees.
In a video posted to Facebook, the senator revealed that a manager had discovered a used sanitary towel in the wrong bin, and had demanded to know who had placed it there.
"Apparently, the ladies were stripped down because the quality assurance manager was trying to find out which person had their period, so that they could punish them for disposing the pads there," she said.
Senator Orwoba has condemned the incident, calling it an issue of dignity, and said that it had crossed a line.
In response, protestors in the Limuru area, where the cheese factory is located, threw sanitary pads into the compound.
Brown's Cheese released a statement, calling the "distressing unilateral decision" by the manager deeply saddening.
The company said that it had suspended the individuals involved, and would be conducting an independent investigation into the matter.
It added that it was "directly engaging" with Senator Orwoba, calling her a "champion" working to end period shaming.
"We have been listening and we know we must do better."
The factory's quality assurance manager, human resources manager and a HR assistant are facing indecent assault charges, and are scheduled to appear in court.
Police told local media that "justice will soon be served to all their victims".
Senator Orwoba has remained a strong advocate against period shaming, regularly raising awareness of the discrimination faced by women and girls because of their periods.
In 2020, 14-year-old Jackeline Chepngeno took her own life after being period shamed.
After getting her first period in the classroom, Jackeline was unprepared and bled through her clothes.
Feeling humiliated, she turned to a female teacher for support, only to be called dirty.
"I think there's a lot of cultural barriers around what we, as Africans, think of menstruation. The fact that it has been coined as a dirty occurrence and that you should be put away and hidden and not be seen needs to stop," Senator Orwoba said.
The senator is pushing for an end to period stigma, particularly in schools.
In Kenya, studies show that girls miss an average of four days of school a month due to their period.
Senator Orwoba also believes that organisations need to implement the country's menstrual hygiene policy to prevent further situations like this.
Introduced in 2019, the policy aims to ensure that all women and girls in Kenya can manage menstruation hygienically, freely, and with dignity.
"You have a fire-safety regulation. For every certain number of metres, there has to be a fire extinguisher. It has to be serviced," she said.
Under the policy, sanitary pads should be made available in the same way.
However, Senator Orwoba said many stakeholders had not interacted with the policy.
"I think that conversation is happening, but in the wrong circles. It's not happening where the stigma lies. It's happening with the girls and women, but it's not happening with the boys," she said.
"It's not happening with the policymakers, it's not happening with the people in leadership."
