AFAWI carried out research to investigate the observation that the number of girls dropping out of school increases when the girls are entering puberty.
Certain cultural and religious beliefs hold that menstruation is unclean and that women on their period should limit contact with others. This means some women are prevented from participating in activities such as worship, sex, domestic chores, social occasions and girls are even prevented from attending school during menstruation.
The findings of the research also suggest that one of the major contributing factors to the increased drop out rates is the difficulty girls find in dealing with the complex physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty. Due to a lack of education, many girls are not prepared for these changes so the onset of menstruation can be a frighting and unpleasant experience.
Additionally, those in poverty often don’t have access to safe, hygienic methods for managing menstruation at home or at school. Given that menstruation can cause inconvenience, discomfort and even pain, it’s not surprising that many girls see it as a burden and choose not to attend school during their period.
As a result of the findings, AFAWI launched a program to help girls with sexual maturation and menstrual management as part of our commitment to youth development. The program focuses specifically on public management of school girls’ sexual maturation and menstrual hygiene practices through education and the provision of adequate sanitary facilities.
Youth development
