By Sarah Jewitt, University of Nottingham
Many girls in the developing world feel they are forced to skip school while they are menstruating. They don’t have proper sanitary wear or don’t have underwear to hold sanitary pads in place. The bathrooms at their schools are not clean or hygienic. They are also frightened that their school uniforms – which are often light in colour – will be stained.
The United Nations has acknowledged menstrual health requirements as a major issue in its recently ratified Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Target 6.2 emphasises “adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all” with “special attention to the needs of women and girls”.
As the world marks the UN’s International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, it’s important to remember that menstruation isn’t the only thing keeping girls away from school. Other contributors include generally unsatisfactory school environments; family pressure or a girl’s own desire to get married; parents who refuse to pay school fees; pregnancy and HIV.