By Upama Tamla (Rai) | Media Associate
Menstrual hygiene and its management is an issue that has not received adequate attention in Nepal. Though school course books contain the subject matter of reproductive health, teachers generally avoid teaching it clearly and students also feel embarrassed to learn about it. Along with this, lack of girl friendly facilities is a main concern in rural schools.
Realizing this fact, ECCA has been in a voyage to break the silence on this topic through introducing girl friendly toilets in rural schools and providing menstrual hygiene awareness. Shree Janata Lower Secondary School of Jhule VDC, Dolakha was recently supported to construct girl friendly toilet, which features incinerator to burn used sanitary pads as well as proper water facilities to help menstruating female students during school time.
Jhule is one of the rural areas binded by communities that often take menstruation talks as a taboo. For the first time, girl friendly toilets are being introduced by ECCA. Along with sanitary pad distribution, ECCA has also been providing regular orientation programs on menstrual hygiene management and need for openness to talk about related issue.
“Most of the students are shy and it is really hard to talk about menstruation”, says one of the ECCA counselors, who regularly provides orientation on menstruation hygiene management.
“We used to go home if we menstruated during school hours and we used to miss our classes. There were no facilities for menstruating girls until the receiving of ECCA support”, shared one of the students finally during one of the latest discussions. “I think it is really necessary for every school to have facilities like this.”
It is especially important to break the silence on the topic of menstruation, so that millions of young girls don’t see their period as a disability, but a natural, normal part of their lives.
Our attempt to break the silence is gradually creating an impact and we are thankful to all of you for your continuous support.
Girl friendly toilet during construction
Incinerator at the back of the toilet
Orientation on Menstrual Hygiene Management conducted in December
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