Girls cry out for better menstrual hygiene services

__________________

“On behalf of the children and adolescent girls in Uganda, we would like to make three requests that we hope will make our stay in school better. We would like to have incinerators in schools where we can burn the used sanitary pads because when they are littered around, it causes stigma, especially because the boys make fun of us,” Anisha Anican, 13, a Senior Two student of Namungoona Progressive SS, says.

She also appeals to school inspectors to make unannounced visits to schools and ensure they interact with students directly to get the ‘real’ state of the school conditions and engage the children directly to learn about the issues that affect them.

“Lastly, we request for a day in Parliament so that we, as young girls, address the MPs and policymakers about the challenges we face in school and what can be done to make our situation better,” Anican, who is a beneficiary of the Girls Empowering Girls (GEG) programme, says.

The GEG is a pilot urban social protection programme being implemented in Kampala since 2019 that supports needy and vulnerable young girls (mostly teenagers) in and out of school through mentoring on critical life skills, peer education, financial support, referrals for medical care and other social services.

Anican was speaking on May 27, 2025, during a pre-event ahead of the National Dialogue on teenage pregnancy, child marriage, advancing menstrual health management and promoting positive behaviour change and dialogue. Led by the education ministry, the National Dialogue was part of the activities marking International Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025, held in Kampala on May 28.

A mentoring session and dialogue during the pre-event dialogue on menstrual hygiene management held on Wednesday, May 27, 2025 at Namungona-Kigobe Primary School in Rubaga Division, Kampala. (Courtesy photo)

The pre-event, held on Wednesday, May 27, 2025, at Namungona-Kigobe Primary School in Rubaga division, Kampala, was organised by Trailblazers Mentoring Foundation in partnership with the ministries of health and education, as well as several stakeholders from the civil society and Kampala Capital City Authority. It was attended by students from 20 schools across the country.

Joyce Atimango, the executive director of Trailblazers Mentoring Foundation, said the National Dialogue is meant to ensure that the children’s (girls’) voices are directly heard and meaningfully reflected to policymakers. Trailblazers Mentoring Foundation is an implementer of the GEG programme in schools.

“During these events, the children are addressed on safety issues, menstrual health and well-being aspects within their schools, as well as a safe learning environment,” she said.

Atimango noted that teenage girls (both in and out of school) face challenges with menstrual hygiene management, safety, as well as water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), among others.

She said the GEG programme led by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and funded by the Belgian government through UNICEF, is meant to help girls stay in school longer, adding that it is structured in a way that the beneficiaries are supported through a period of four years (Primary Six-Senior Two).

“The programme is anchored around peer mentoring. We also give them cash transfers to help them pay school fees, and buy pads, scholastic materials and other basic needs.

“At inception in 2019, the GEG programme supported and graduated over 3,000 girls. In the first cohort, we had beneficiaries in 20 KCCA schools, while the second cohort started in 2022 and is currently in 11 schools. We identify beneficiaries who are not in school with the help of local leadership structures. These include girls with disabilities, school dropouts due to early marriage and early pregnancy and girls from poverty-stricken families in slums, among others,” she explained.

Impact of GEG programme

The beneficiaries of the GEG programme attested to having gained knowledge and confidence to speak out about menstrual hygiene issues affecting them.

“Menstruation comes with many challenges, and these normally result in deflated confidence levels and trauma for young girls because they are perceived as ‘dirty’ by their peers and boys. Some girls even miss classes, and others even drop out of school due to this social pressure.

“However, thanks to the GEG programme, we now know how to prepare for these ‘red days’, we have learnt how to make reusable pads, how to safely dispose of used pads, as well as why schools and communities should invest in incinerators. Most importantly, we now understand that menstruation is a natural/normal biological phase and we face it positively,” said Ashaba Lyton Natasha, 13, a Senior Two student at Kitebi SS, in Rubaga Division, Kampala.

Patricia Kyambula, a Primary Six pupil at Namungona-Kigobe Primary School, said through mentoring and peer discussions under the GEG programme, she and others have attained leadership and hands-on artisan skills.

“Besides learning to make reusable pads, we also learn how to make bags, money purses, and doormats, among other crafts. During the mentoring and peer discussions, we also come up with solutions to our menstrual hygiene and other social challenges that are directly applicable to our unique situations in the schools, homes and communities from which we hail,” she said.

Natasha Auma, a Senior Two student at Namungona High School, confessed that the GEG programme enabled her to stay in school at a time when her parents were struggling.

“I enrolled on the GEG programme in 2022 when I was in Primary Six. At the time, I was about to drop out of school because my mother could hardly raise my school fees. But as a beneficiary, my school fees have been paid by the GEG programme – shillings 160,000 per term for Primary Six and Seven, and shillings 250,000 through Senior One and Two when I leave the programme,” she said, her face beaming with a smile.

Monic Nabirye, the headteacher of Namungona-Kigobe Primary School, lauded the GEG programme, saying it has provided the much-needed push towards improving the livelihoods of vulnerable teenage girls.

“The mentoring and peer education programmes have contributed immensely towards the reduction of cases of school dropouts, early marriages and teenage pregnancies. Our staff (teachers, senior women, matrons) and young girls are also now more empowered to handle menstrual hygiene issues more confidently because they are knowledgeable.

“We, however, appeal to the ministry of education, KCCA and all other stakeholders to support us with an incinerator and to help us fence the school premises for better safety of our pupils,” she said.

Moses Kabuusu, the MP for Kyamuswa constituency in Kalangala District, who is also a member of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children, underscored the need for parents to play a more proactive role in ensuring that girls get menstrual hygiene services right from home.

Moses Kabuusu, the MP for Kyamuswa constituency in Kalangala District, who is also a member of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children, addressing participants during the pre-event dialogue on menstrual hygiene management held on Wednesday, May 27, 2025 at Namungona-Kigobe Primary School in Rubaga Division, Kampala. (Courtesy photo)

He urged female students to be assertive and not be derailed from their educational path by bad elements who mislead them with worthless gifts such as phones, eateries and drinks for quick gratification.

Herman Makanga from the gender department of the Ministry of Education and Sports applauded the implementers of the GEG programme for the noble job of supporting girls to stay in school, and the vulnerable ones out of school are supported to lead decent and productive lives.

Background

Research has increasingly highlighted the critical role of menstrual health and hygiene in shaping adolescent girls’ well-being, dignity, and future. Poor menstrual hygiene management has been linked to school absenteeism, stigma, poor mental health and school dropouts, all of which are key drivers of early marriage and teenage pregnancy.

Girls who lack access to sanitary products, accurate information and supportive school environments are more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and risky behaviour in exchange for basic needs, including menstrual supplies.

In recognition of this, this year’s International Menstrual Hygiene Day was commemorated during the stakeholders’ dialogue, and celebrated innovations and partnerships improving menstrual health in Uganda.