Globally, millions of girls miss days of school or drop out altogether because of their periods. They lack the necessary information and supplies to manage their periods and stay in school. Some estimates show 1 in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa miss school because of menstruation, but that doesn't have to be the case.
Researchers from Oxford University followed 1,000 schoolgirls in Uganda to find out how their periods affected their attendance at school and what could be done to keep girls in class. They provided different groups of girls with sanitary pads, information about menstruation, or both.
They found that Ugandan girls were 17 percent more likely to miss school when they had no access to sanitary pads or information about their periods.
Many Ugandan girls leave school in their teenage years. Only 22 percent of girls enroll in secondary school compared to 91 percent for primary school, and researchers think menstruation could have something to do with it.
The president of Kenya recently signed an amendment ensuring that girls enrolled in public schools would have access to free menstrual pads. If the government of Uganda cares about keeping girls in school, they should do the same.
While this is an issue that affects many girls in many nations, Uganda has the necessary information and research to start fighting the issue now and make sure their children aren't missing out on an education because of biology.
Photo Credit: Matt Lucht
