By Gabriel Luryeyo
Fourteen-year-old Janet, a Primary Six pupil of Panyikworo Primary School in Bungatira Sub County, Gulu District is well aware of the ‘period shaming’ schoolgirls in her age group endure. It is the reason schoolgirls in rural schools are still ashamed of menstruation – a natural occurrence that is deemed a taboo in some settings.
The stigma around menstruation has greatly affected the education of girls, especially those in rural areas who cannot afford sanitary pads, which forces some of them to drop out of school. According to Janet, the solution lies in deliberate efforts to end the stigma and period shaming in schools. At Panyikworo Primary School, out of 1,203 pupils, there are 550 girls. 53 have sat for PLE and left the school.
Janet noted that educating boys on menstrual health can have a positive impact. “I have reusable sanitary pads. I usually wash them clean, dry them in the sun, and iron [them] before [using] them. I have heard of girls who were forced to marry after they started menstruating… but I was lucky because my mother used to buy sanitary pads for me. She prepared me for puberty too,” said Janet, who was among hundreds of pupils who received skills on how to make reusable sanitary pads in 2022.
A study conducted in 2022 by Plan International indicates that more than 1 in 3 boys think periods should be kept a secret. In a survey of 4,127 boys and young men from four countries – Brazil, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Uganda – the most common reason cited for avoiding the topic was that menstruation is a ‘private matter’ for girls and women.
According to the World Bank, the onset of puberty results in significant changes for girls, noting that menstruation is the most dramatic sign of girls’ puberty, which affects their socialization with family and community and has a significant impact on their education. The report further indicates that 1 in 10 school-age African girls skip school during menstruation or drop out entirely because they lack access to necessary sanitary products.
Mr Denis Okot, the head teacher of Cwero Primary School in Paicho Sub-county in Gulu District, said provision of reusable sanitary pads in school has been of immense help for girls. “Our girls used to drop out of school because they do not have sanitary materials to manage their periods. But now, they are able to make them by themselves and stay in school comfortably without much challenge,” he adds.
He also noted that training 30 boys and 30 girls in 2022 in making reusable pads was a game changer in keeping girls in school. “The girls and boys were trained on how to make sanitary pads using sewing machines and sewing by hand. So, right now, we have girls and boys who are able to make reusable sanitary pads. The boys make it and supply it to the girls and their sisters at home,” he said.
The school has also seen improved performance among upper classes. According to Okot, more girls have received prizes from the school authorities for better performances than the boys. Cwero Primary School has an enrolment of 1,291 pupils with 65 percent being girls. The school has a changing room and senior male and female teachers to sensitize pupils about menstruation.
Gladys, a Primary Six pupil of Awach Primary School in Gulu District also emphasizes the positive impact of reusable sanitary pads, noting that schoolgirls from poor families can now pursue their dreams. “I think my dream is now within my grasp. I want to be a teacher. With pads now available, I am very hopeful that my dream will come true. During my menstrual cycle, I used not to come to school. But not anymore. I have also understood that menstruation is normal. I urge the government to provide free sanitary pads to girls from poor families so that more girls can menstruate with dignity,” she said.
In 2015, the Ministry of Education and Sports issued a set of guidelines to all schools specifying the actions to take in a bid to promote Menstrual Hygiene Management in schools. The Ministry acknowledges that Menstrual Hygiene Management is a key issue that affects the retention, performance and completion of girls in school.
Research has established a critical link between girls’ school dropout rates and the challenges they face during menstruation. Many girls, lacking access to sanitary towels, skip school due to the fear of embarrassment and discomfort.
In a 2012 study conducted by the International Rescue Centre, it was revealed that one in ten menstruating girls misses school for four days every month, adding up to a total of approximately 24 days per year. Menstrual hygiene activists have been relentless in their efforts to advocate for the government to provide free sanitary towels to all girls, much like the government’s distribution of free condoms to promote safe sex.
While campaigning in Lango sub-region in northern Uganda in 2015, President Museveni pledged to give all schoolgirls across the country free sanitary pads. The President was soliciting for votes ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Later, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataha Museveni, took up the matter.
However, in January 2020, she told Parliament that the presidential pledge to supply sanitary pads to primary schools may not materialize in the near future. She noted that supplying schoolgirls with free sanitary pads requires huge amounts of funds. In October, while addressing the National Youth Convention, the Education minister also complained about the name of the reusable pads; “Africa Pad” possibly referring to AfriPad – the largest, certified producer of reusable pads in Uganda – claiming it was degrading to Africa. Furthermore, she wondered whether if it was hygienic for the girls to use reusable sanitary pads.
Ms Sharon Laker Balmoyi, the Gulu District Woman Member of Parliament said parents should not allow girls to miss school simply because the government has not started distributing free sanitary pads. “At one point, the President promised that he would supply free sanitary pads to schoolgirls but this has not yet started. I think there should be a way out. Girls should not miss school simply because of lack of sanitary pads. I appeal to parents, well-wishers, and the NGOs to join hands together and fight period poverty,” she said.
According to Hope Centre Uganda, a not-for-profit organization that provided free reusable sanitary pads to 12,000 schoolgirls in Gulu, Amuru, Nwoya and Amuru under the Girls’ Power Project since 2016, poor menstrual hygiene management among schoolgirls results in four to five days of absence from school per month. The organization notes that, 80 percent of schoolgirls in rural areas cannot access sanitary pads.
Ms Kevin Okumu, the Country Director of Hope Centre Uganda, said between 10-15 percent of girls in Acholi sub-region drop out of school over failure to manage menstruation. She said the provision of free sanitary pads can cut the dropout rate among girls to 7 percent. “There is a lot of stigmatization around periods. In the event that a girl experiences menstruation while in school without having a sanitary pad, she will feel humiliated. She will have low self-esteem. She will definitely drop out of school. Sometimes girls will end up changing schools to escape the shame,” she says.
Ms Okumu reiterates the need to address the myths around menstruation. “We need to continue with this conversation until we achieve universal access to sanitary pads. Every girl should be able to access pads no matter their background,” she said.
SIDEBAR
In 2014, the United Nations declared May 28 of every year as Menstrual Hygiene Day in recognition of the woes girls and women experience during menstruation. This was a reaffirmation of the world’s commitment to create more befitting living conditions for girls and women. Uganda commemorated the first Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2014 and in August of the same year held the first International Menstrual Hygiene Management Conference, in Kampala.
