In most traditional communities of Uganda, menstruation is poorly understood and surrounded by taboos. A girl menstruating is not allowed to cook or even sit with elders and often mark a girl’s first period as “ready for marriage and motherhood”, regardless of her age or personal aspirations thus contributing to their exclusion not only from family life but also from education and employment.
According to the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports, it is estimated that over 1.2 million girls aged 12-18 years face challenges related to menstrual hygiene management and states that three out of four girls miss school because they are menstruating. A UNESCO also highlights that menstruation is a leading cause of absenteeism among
school-going girls in Uganda.
The stigma surrounding menstruation compounds the challenges girls face. Many girls are forced to drop out of school due to a lack of access to proper menstrual products, clean and safe toilets, or supportive environments to manage their periods. Once out of school, their vulnerability to child marriage increases significantly.
In response to this critical issue, Gufasha Girls Foundation has over the years worked to ensure that girls menstruate with pride and dignity through The “My Menstruation Is My Dignity” Project.
Through this project, Gufasha Girls Foundation skills both primary and secondary school-going girls on how to make/sew reusable pads, provides comprehensive menstrual health education and awareness to both girls and communities in order to dispel myths and break the stigma and also advocates for proper and clean private and safe facilities for menstrual hygiene management in schools so as to reduce absenteeism and create environments where girls feel supported.
Ending child marriage and ensuring proper menstruation are interconnected issues and must be addressed holistically with united efforts. This means investing in menstrual health as a cornerstone of girls’ empowerment, ensuring that education is accessible and inclusive, and challenging the societal norms around menstruation and those that perpetuate child marriage.
And with your support, Gufasha Girls Foundation can expand the “My Menstruation Is My Dignity” project to reach, skill, support and empower thousands of girls to manage their menstruation healthily and with dignity and delay marriage.
Let’s work toward a world where no girl’s school days are cut short because of period poverty and ensure that every girl has the opportunity to stay in school and thrive.
