Access to reusable sanitary pads is helping to tackle dropout and period poverty among schoolgirls in rural areas in Gulu District.
Research has established a critical link between girls’ school dropout rates and the challenges they face during menstruation.
Many girls, lacking access to sanitary towels, skip school due to the fear of embarrassment and discomfort.
Denis Okot, Head Teacher of Cwero Primary School in Paicho Sub County in Gulu District, said provision of reusable sanitary pads in school have helped girls to tackle period poverty and shame.
He said girls used to drop out of schoolgirls used to drop out of because they cannot manage their periods.
Hope Centre Uganda, a not for profit organization that has provided free reusable sanitary pads to 12,000 schoolgirls in Gulu, Amuru, Nwoya and Amuru under the Girls’ Power Project since 2016, noted that between 10-15 percent of girls in Acholi sub region drop out of school over failure to manage menstruation.
Ms Kevin Okumu, the Country Director Hope Centre Uganda said provision of free sanitary pads can cut dropout rate among girls in Acholi sub region to just 7 percent.
Caption: Ms Kevin Okumu, the Country Director Hope Centre Uganda displaying a reusable pads made by the organization
