Safeguarding schoolgirls’ menstrual health essentials is not only an issue in today’s rapidly changing educational landscape but also a crucial concern for gender equity. Some of the best-performing schools here in Kenya and around the world have prioritized menstrual health initiatives that provide or facilitate products, promote health and hygiene, and encourage girls to fully engage in their academic and extracurricular activities – knowing that such efforts build equitable pathways to success for all students.
Despite being a natural process of the female body, menstruation is often associated with silence, stigma, and false information. Girls are exposed to a wide range of misleading details about their period – whether at home, with friends, or online –, and they are often made to feel ashamed or unsupported during their time of the month, which can have serious effects on academic performance and absenteeism. In fact, studies show that 50% of Kenyan girls fall behind at school in part due to menstrual health issues, and 70% report declining grades; nearly all girls miss at least 1 day every month.
Educational institutions and their partners have an opportunity to drive a wedge into this cycle of disempowerment by recognizing the importance of menstrual health and prioritizing its access and awareness at school. Some examples of this include:
Accessible products: By offering period essentials in school facilities, no student will have to leave or miss class to get what they need to manage their symptoms.
Hygiene facilities: It’s important to have appropriate disposal methods and an adequate water supply in girls’ restrooms to enable menstrual hygiene. Girls’ restrooms are also a useful place to post more private informational adverts.
Comprehensive education: By including key aspects of menstruation in educational curricula for both girls and boys, students are better prepared with the facts, the menstrual process is made less mysterious, and this fundamental part of being human becomes normalized.
Counseling and support: Having access to medical professionals and counseling services in schools can help students feel more secure about managing their menstrual health through personalized advice, especially for uncommon symptoms.
Helping young girls understand and manage their menstrual health goes beyond the classroom. Long-term professional success and better academic achievement correspond with advanced participation and better class attendance. And by fostering a generation that values health, empathy, and open communication, these programs contribute to the development of inclusive classrooms, workplaces, and communities.
