SUPPORTING GIRLS TO OWN THEIR MENSTRUAL HEALTH JOURNEY

“I No Longer Miss School Because of My Period”, A Story of Hope from our Girls Dignity Club.”

When a 14 year old Shafiga, stood in front of her fellow pupils at Buzalangizo primary school, she spoke with confidence and pride:

“I used to stay home every time I got my period because I was scared, shy, and struggled to access pads. But through the Girls Dignity Club, I have learned how to manage my menstruation and speak up for myself. I now know how to track my menstrual cycle, use and safely dispose of sanitary pads, and maintain proper hygiene during her period. I also know where to access pads and no longer afraid to ask for help when needed.”revealed Shafiga, a primary six pupil at Buzalangizo primary school.

Her bold testimony was shared during our Post-Menstrual Hygiene Day engagements in the school moved everyone in the room. Held from 11 to 13 June 2025, in commemoration of the global observance of Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28), the engagements were part of a larger movement by the Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum to make menstrual conversations and support continuous and not just a one-day affair.

The Post-Menstrual Hygiene Day engagements held under our Girls Opportunity Alliance funded Giving Girls Voice Choice and Control project targeted pupils and teachers from Jewa, Buzalangizo and Bubyangu primary schools and students of Bufumbo Secondary School, with a two-pronged approach including, empowering learners especially adolescent girls through peer-led sessions, creative performances, and safe conversations on periods and equipping teachers with the National Menstrual Health Guidelines and practical approaches and strategies for implementation within their school environments.

Girls Take the Lead: From Silence to Stage

In the different schools, the pupils and students especially those part of   the Girls Dignity Clubs, shared their incredible experience being part of the club. They shared stories of how the club weekly sessions, have helped them overcome fear, stigma, and misinformation surrounding menstruation among other SRH issues, challenges, they faced before the project came to their schools.   The sessions majorly focused on, key menstrual hygiene concepts, including pain/cramps management, proper disposal, cleanliness and personal hygiene during period, utilizing available materials for those who cannot access disposable sanitary pads and    referral channels.  One of the most inspiring parts of the day came when members of the Girls Dignity Club at Buzalangizo primary school took the stage to perform poems around child marriage and menstrual hygiene.

Through the poem, they highlighted the twin challenges of child marriage and menstrual hygiene, often deeply linked to the communities. Through their poem, they echoed the realities many girls face during periods like stigma, the fear of being mocked or labeled dirty, reinforcing harmful beliefs that menstruating girls are unclean. For some, the fear extends into the home afraid to speak up about their period needs, lest they are met with silence or ignorance. In the most vulnerable households, this fear pushes girls into unsafe and exploitative situations, such as engaging in transactional sex to afford pads a practice that increases their risk of teenage pregnancy, STIs, or even child marriage as families try to ‘solve’ the problem. The poem offered hope through collective strength and knowledge. For many, the club has been the avenue they openly and freely spoke about periods without shame.

Teachers Step Up: From Challenge to Commitment

In parallel sessions with teachers, we introduced and disseminated the National Menstrual Health Guidelines for schools and higher institutions of learning that were launched by the Ministry of Education and Sports at the National Menstrual Hygiene commemoration held on 28^th May 2025. These sessions sparked deep discussions on the important role teachers play in shaping safe and inclusive school environments.  Many teachers openly shared the challenges, they face in supporting girls, including harmful social norms and cultural beliefs. In many communities, menstruation is still shrouded in taboo and silence, seen as a private or “unclean” issue that should not be openly discussed, especially between male teachers and female students. This belief leads to continuous discomfort, avoidance, or indifference, leaving girls to navigate menstruation alone, even in the face of urgent need. The myths and misconceptions as highlighted by the teacher’s further limit girls from opening up. Among other key issues common to all the schools are the lack of a school budget for emergency sanitary supplies, Limited knowledge and training on menstrual health issues, Inadequate infrastructure, such as changing rooms and disposal facilities and most importantly stigma and fear that affects young people’s willingness to seek for support.

By the end of the engagements, each school had developed actionable commitments to improve menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in their schools. Some of the key commitments included: Establishing “pad corners” at the schools, Integrating menstrual health tips during every biology and science classes, introduce physical exercise session into the school timetable for girls to engage in regular health exercise to ensure non painful period,  identifying “period buddy” in schools called ‘Big Sister” to support girls and link them to support for those who may not be able to reach out to teachers by themselves, hold regular menstrual sessions for girls and boys, establish boys as period support champions, identify and gazette a special room for girls to change pads and take some rest in case of painful periods, linking the school to nearest health facilities for medical support in case of un manageable period conditions like extreme pain and abnormalities for the pupils and students and lastly support advocating for menstrual hygiene budgeting in schools. visit out youtube channel: @uyahfchanel to watch the teachers powerful voices of commitment. 

These progressive commitments and actions highlighted above, when implemented and actualized will significantly transform the menstrual hygiene landscape. It will ensure menstrual justice and improved menstrual health for girls in not only these schools but in the entire communities.

Menstruation is beyond pads, It’s About Dignity and Opportunity

Menstrual health is not just a hygiene issue, it is a human rights issue, an education issue, and a gender equality issue. When girls are supported to manage their periods safely and with dignity, they are more likely to stay in school, avoid early marriage, and achieve their full potential.

“Now, I fully attend classes even during my periods. Girls no longer hide. We are not afraid. We have a voice.” Concluded Shafiga.

These outreaches and well thought out engagements are a part of UYAHF’s broader commitment to promoting Menstrual Justice, ending period poverty, and ensuring that every girl just like Shafiga menstruates with dignity.

Article by Haruna Musa, Public Health Communication Practitioner, SRH Advocate and the Communication Manager at the Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum. Email: hmusa@uyahf.com Contact: +256783994369