FINAL REPORT

FINAL REPORT
Societal level: Recently the Government has made tremendous efforts to improve WASH facilities in
schools so that children can learn and reach their full potential in a child-friendly environment. Most
notable is the key policy document, the Norms and Minimum Requirements for WASH in Schools,
Dormitories and Kindergartens, which was approved in 2015 with the active support of three key
Ministries (MoECS, MoHS and the Ministry of Finance). All national and sub-national government
authorities have started working to implement these Norms and Minimum Requirements, and some
provincial and district-level governments have already been allocating funds from national and local
development budgets to improve school WASH facilities. However, not all government good will was
realized in terms of school WASH facilities and the responsible agencies and the local government
were not eagerly allocating funds to this very important sector. Even when funds were allocated, the
amount was often meagre compared to the need.
The existing taboo on menstruation influences people’s perception and behaviour. Many people,
including parents, teachers, community members and schoolgirls themselves, tried their best to hide
anything related to menstruation from others, and particularly from men and boys. Boys teased girls
if they found out that they were menstruating.
Environmental level: Not all school WASH facilities were adequate to meet the needs of girls in
managing menstruation in a private and comfortable environment, without fear and embarrassment.
In particular, rural school WASH facilities were in need of infrastructure improvement and maintenance
through long use.
Interpersonal level: Due to their low level of knowledge about managing menstruation, girls
often felt stressed and isolated themselves from others, sitting at the back of the classroom, not
participating in school activities with other children, and trying to minimize their movements through
fear of triggering heavy bleeding. Girls tried hard to prevent others, particularly boys, from noticing
that they were menstruating and did not talk about it with anyone except their mothers or very close
friends. There was a common understanding that menstruation should be strictly hidden from males,
an understanding was very strong among girls.
Personal level: At a younger age, girls had very little knowledge of menstruation and how to
manage it, relying mainly on their mothers’ and sisters’ advice. Girls became anxious and irritable as
they worried about how to handle menstruation, including their lack of knowledge about the quality
of pads, and they did not sleep well as they worried about staining the bed linen or clothes. Most girls
felt things had been much better before menarche, that they were happier, braver and more active.
Biological level: Girls experienced back pain, stomach cramps and sometimes dizziness and tiredness
during menstruation, but most did not know how to manage these symptoms. Some took medicines,
but most tried to relieve the pain by focusing on other things or wearing tight underwear to minimize
it. The irregularity of menstruation was also quite challenging, particularly for younger girls.
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