The highly emotive gender issue relating to the negative effects on the education of the girl child due to menstruation has captured the attention of the world. In an environment where gender discrimination against women is still rife, the additional burden of menses impacting negatively on school attendance for girls merits serious attention. However, whilst there is no doubt this is an issue of concern, many urban legends abound about the exact size and scope of the problem.

The issue of access to sanitary pads for girls at school is a highly sensitive and emotive issue as it adds a further burden to the school going girl child and success at school. Girls are expected to do chores and family care tasks at home, that boys are not expected to do. So missing school due to a lack of sanitary pads does have an additional negative influence on the education of girls. Quality information is required to ensure that the prevalence and geographic scope of the problem needs to be established so that the myriad of solutions that are being applied in a “spray and pray” way can be directed to where the problem is, in a way that respects the dignity of the girls in need of the support for the duration of the time that they require it.

Read the full research case study about menstruation from Philanthropy In Focus