Menstrual Hygiene Project Keeps Girls in School

Girls walk across an embankment in the Satkhira district of Bangladesh. Credit: Rafiqul Islam/IPSBy Mahfuzur RahmanDHAKA, Mar 23 2017 (IPS)Breaking taboos surrounding menstruation, a project to distribute sanitary napkins to girls in one district of Bangladesh has had a positive impact on school dropout rates – and should be replicated in other parts of the country, experts say.“In Bangladesh, girls neither get enough support from their families nor their teachers in school during this difficult time, and their problems intensify and multiply as they cannot share anything out of shame,” Dr. Safura Khatun, a consultant at Mithapukur Health Complex in Bangladesh’s northern district of Rangpur, told the IPS on the sidelines of a five-day workshop.“There’s no reason to be sad when you reach puberty with some physical changes. Don’t be sad …it’s time to celebrate.” --Dr Dilara BegumInter Press Service (IPS), an international news agency, in collaboration with News Network, a non-profit media support organisation of Bangladesh, organised the workshop titled ‘Empowering Girls and Young Women Through Healthcare and Hygiene Support’ in Mithapukur sub-district on March 12-16, 2017.Fifty teachers and students from 50 schools, colleges and madrasahs in Mithapukur joined the workshop.“This is simply indescribable what a traumatic situation girls in Bangladesh society undergo for lack of understanding and care by families and schools. A small support during their ...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Asia-Pacific Education Featured Gender Headlines Health Population Poverty & SDGs Women's Health Bangladesh Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) menstruation Source Type: news