Pubescent girls’ menstrual experiences and implications for their schooling: A Ugandan case study

This study explored the physical, social and cultural experiences surrounding menarche and menstruation of teenage school girls between the ages of 8 and 15. The study sought to understand the relationship between menstruation and girls education and its organised under different themes: Emotional, physical and psychological, social and cultural constructions of menstruation, and social and scope and limits of existing support systems both at institutional community and household levels. Four schools were purposively selected from Wakiso district, Uganda which has both rural and urban poor settings. A sample of 40 girls was purposively selected keeping in mind the rural and urban poor divide. Data was collected using focus group discussions (FGD), semi structured interviews and observation which were used to get information to answer the research question. The findings confirmed the connection between girls schooling and menstruation and it was revealed that menstruation affects girls participation especially in the rural schools. This connection was realised from the different feelings, concealment, embarrassment fear, shame and sometimes anxiety towards menstruation. This is more so because the situation in rural areas is worse in terms of menstrual management than in urban poor areas which in turn led to among others to discrimination, stigmatisation which lowered the self esteem of these girls which all interfere with their confidence and feelings hence bringing a negative impact to their schooling. Areas for policy promising better education participation for girls were identified which included provision of environmentally and pocket friendly sanitary towels, improvement of school infrastructure and hygiene and providing menstrual education to school girls.