Uganda: Schools in Rwenzori Region Get New Tips On Menstrual Hygiene

Kasese — More than 20 schools from the Rwenzori Region have joined Reach A Hand Africa and Enable to challenge menstrual stigma and promote better menstrual hygiene management among young people through the Undo the Taboo Menstrual Hygiene Management event held at Kasese Secondary School in Kasese District.

The event, held to commemorate World Menstrual Hygiene Day, brought together learners, teachers, school leaders, community and cultural leaders and development partners for a day of learning and creative expression around menstruation.

Through competitive activities such as drama, skits, plays, essay writing and other forms of edutainment, young people explored the challenges girls face during menstruation and used their creativity to challenge the myths, silence and stigma that continue to surround the natural physiological process.

Maliba Secondary School emerged as the winner of the essay competition and received UGX 1.5 million. Other schools and learners were also recognised for their participation in the Undo the Taboo activities.

The event also provided a platform for education stakeholders to highlight the need for schools to move beyond menstrual hygiene awareness and deliberately plan and budget for the practical needs of girls, including appropriate sanitation facilities, access to menstrual materials, safe disposal systems and support structures within schools.

The event was also attended by the Prime Minister of the Rwenzururu Kingdom, Benson Kule Baritazale, who called for greater openness in sharing information about menstruation with girls and urged schools to strengthen first-aid services and equip senior women teachers to support learners experiencing menstrual-related challenges.

Nzukwa Joseph, Chairperson of the Association of Secondary Schools in Uganda and Head Teacher of Kasese Secondary School, said menstrual hygiene management remains poorly integrated into school planning because menstruation is still treated as a taboo in many communities.

"Starting from the places where children are supposed to receive services, like washrooms, even the nature of the toilets that we put up may not support these children," Nzukwa said.

He said schools need to consider whether their sanitation facilities enable girls to change menstrual materials comfortably and safely, noting that some schools do not have facilities such as incinerators for disposing of used sanitary materials.

A girl who changes her pad, he said, may be left wondering where to dispose of it because the necessary systems have not been provided.

Nzukwa said the failure to openly discuss menstruation also affects institutional planning and budgeting.

"Because talking about menstruation looks like a taboo in our African society, that affects our planning," he said.

He called for boys to be deliberately included in menstrual hygiene education, saying they have an important role to play in creating supportive school and home environments for girls.

He said boys should understand that supporting menstrual hygiene can be as simple as ensuring that their sisters and classmates have access to pads, appropriate facilities and a safe environment in which to talk about their experiences.

The head teacher also cautioned schools against interpreting menstrual-related discomfort as indiscipline.

"Some of them get cramps, some of them experience pain, and then you find that you punish the child because she is quiet and cannot explain what she is experiencing," he said.

He urged schools and parents to create environments where girls can speak openly about menstruation without fear of embarrassment or punishment.

At Kasese Secondary School, some of these measures have already been integrated into the school's support systems. The school has an incinerator for disposal of used menstrual materials, while the senior woman teacher's office has spare uniforms, pants and clean towels to support girls who begin their periods unexpectedly while at school.

The school also guides teachers, boys and girls on menstrual hygiene management.

However, Nzukwa said such systems are not yet available across many schools, particularly in rural areas where cultural attitudes and taboos around menstruation remain a significant barrier.

While schools may not have specific data showing how many girls drop out because of menstruation, he said the higher proportion of girls among school dropouts warrants greater attention to issues that uniquely affect them.

He noted that menstruation could be among the factors contributing to girls' dropout, particularly in rural communities, while calling for further research to establish the extent of its contribution.

Nathan Gonzaga, Regional Manager at Reach A Hand Africa, said the Undo the Taboo initiative was created to give young people a platform to challenge the perception that menstruation is something that should be hidden.

"Menstruation is not a taboo," Gonzaga said. He said inadequate sanitation facilities, limited access to menstrual materials and stigma continue to affect girls in schools, making it important for young people to be part of conversations aimed at changing attitudes.

"We want to make sure that these young girls and boys pass the information through drama, through skits and also through plays, so that people can easily understand," he said.

Gonzaga said the participation of more than 20 schools demonstrated the importance of creating spaces where young people can express themselves while addressing issues affecting their education and wellbeing.

The event forms part of the wider Brave Girls platform, which uses sport, entertainment and other youth-centred approaches to promote girls' confidence, participation and talents while creating spaces to discuss issues affecting them, including menstrual hygiene and HIV.

Gonzaga said the approach is intended to take the conversation beyond individual events and into schools, homes and communities.

He called on schools, parents, government institutions, communities and development partners to complement awareness efforts with practical investments in menstrual hygiene management.

"Once our girls continue with their education, they should not face stigma when boys are disturbing them because they have stained themselves," he said.

Reach A Hand Africa said ending menstrual stigma requires boys and girls to be part of the conversation, while schools must ensure that menstruation does not become a barrier to girls' education, participation and dignity.

Read the original article on Independent (Kampala).