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When Jenifer started menstruating at school, she hid behind the dormitories. She was lucky that the head girl found her and alerted the senior woman about Jenifer’s situation so that she could get help. 

This could have saved a 14-year-old P6 pupil at Kazo Model Primary School in Kazo town, Kazo district, from missing classes for days or worse, dropping out of school over menstrual issues and related stigmatisation.

Jenifer’s situation is not an isolated one facing learners in primary schools in the country as many drop out due to the menstruation cycle and other challenges that disadvantage girls during their schooling.

Petua Babirye Isabirye, a principal education and training officer at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), says many girls are dropping out because schools are not catering to their specific needs as female learners.

According to Isabirye, adolescent female learners face more challenges compared to boys and are more at risk of dropping out of school or performing poorly due to absenteeism resulting from menstrual-related issues.

“The starting point is that girls are in schools, but if they are not supported with these facilities, girls can lose up to 15 days per school term. This is too much considering that they do the same exams as the boys whose learning process will not have been interrupted,” she says, adding that some even drop out due to menstruation-related stigma.

"Some girls stay at home for up to four days. It is also because the learners are not guided and counselled by parents that “menstruation is normal” and not a problem for schooling," Noame Tushabe, the senior woman at Kazo Model, says.

Isabirye was on Thursday, March 8, 2024, speaking after inspecting Kazo Model Primary School as part of the commission’s monitoring for gender and equity responsiveness in schools.

The EOC team promotes gender and equity responsiveness in schools for inclusive education so that “learners, especially girls and learners with disabilities can progress to the next level of their education”.

Isabirye said schools were expected to have emergency pads, spare uniforms and knickers, separate washrooms, and changing rooms that are well-equipped to handle menstrual issues. However, the team learnt that the girls use the senior women's bathroom in case of an emergency menstrual period.

Petua Babirye Isabirye, a principal education and training officer at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), says many girls are dropping out because schools are not catering to their specific needs as female learners. (All Photos by Stephen Nuwagira)

They also don’t have spare knickers and uniforms to cater for such emergencies.  

Poor learner-teacher relationship

In Kazo Model, the team found a high population of girls (nearly 520 of the 1,025 learners in the school). However, social amenities are not readily available to cater to this number and there is also only one senior woman to handle them. The level of hygiene was lacking, according to Isabirye.

“During our interaction with the learners, we found that girls fear to confide in their teachers. This is a problem because the learners suffer in silence,” she noted.

Rebecca Ainembabazi, the head girl and P7 pupil, said the girls fear being subjects of ‘teacher talk’ in the staff room. "However, as the leaders when a day scholar goes into periods, we alert the senior woman to help her," she added. According to Ainembabazi, some boys laugh at girls in case they spot their uniforms.

Kazo Mode Primary School headteacher Sam Muraarira Kanduho, however, said he has an open door policy and learners always come to him in case of a problem and he guides them or directs them to a teacher who can address their concern.

Kanduho also said the administration encourages girls and other disadvantaged learners to participate in all the school’s activities.

He added that the school provides sanitary pads to learners especially those from poor families or those that experience emergency menstrual cycles while at school.

Boys neglected  

However, Robert Agume, the Kazo district education officer, said focusing on protecting and supporting girls has left boys out. 

"There are more girls in school in Kazo district, for instance. So, where are the boys? They are abusing drugs and in other crimes. Although girls have more problems, we need to guide and mentor all children," he said.