Understanding period poverty and its impact on girls’ education

What if getting your period could determine whether you get to attend school or not?

For millions of girls in India, menstruation brings more than physical changes. It can also bring uncertainty, discomfort and difficult choices. Is there a sanitary pad when it’s needed? Is there a clean, private place to change? Is there someone to turn to with questions?

These may seem like everyday concerns, but for a girl trying to keep up with her lessons, they can become barriers to learning. And this raises an important question: how can we ensure that menstruation never comes in the way of a girl's right to education?

In today’s blog, let’s explore how period poverty affects girls’ education and how CRY UK is working to break these barriers and help girls stay in school.

How period poverty in India pushes girls out of school

Period poverty in India is not limited to the inability to afford sanitary products. It also includes the lack of information, suitable sanitation facilities and support systems that help girls manage menstruation comfortably and safely. Let’s take a closer how:

• Lack of access to sanitary products and affordable alternatives: For many girls, sanitary pads and other safe menstrual products remain unaffordable or unavailable. As a result, they often resort to unhygienic alternatives or miss school during their periods.
  Access to affordable products and reliable sources, such as pad banks in schools and villages, helps girls manage their periods and attend classes without interruption.
• Inadequate toilets and water facilities in schools: Without clean, private toilets, running water and proper disposal facilities, managing periods at school becomes difficult. The lack of these basic amenities often leave girls uncomfortable and discourage them from attending school during menstruation.
  Separate, functional toilets for girls, along with adequate water and hygiene facilities, are essential to help them manage their periods safely and with dignity.
• Stigma, silence and the need for menstrual hygiene awareness: In many communities, menstruation remains a taboo subject. Without access to accurate information, girls often feel embarrassed to ask questions, seek help or talk about their needs. Myths and restrictions also further affect their confidence and participation in school.

Menstrual health education helps girls understand their bodies and make informed choices. Involving boys, parents and communities is equally important to challenge taboos and create a more supportive environment.

How CRY UK is helping girls manage menstruation with dignity

CRY works at a systemic level to address period poverty by bringing together grassroots partners, schools, families and local authorities.By addressing these gaps at multiple levels, CRY helps create an environment where girls can manage their periods with dignity and continue their education without interruption. Let’s understand how:

• Engaging families and communities: Menstrual stigma cannot be addressed by educating girls alone. CRY conducts awareness sessions with families and community members to challenge taboos, question gender-based restrictions and encourage shared responsibility for menstrual hygiene. This helps create a more supportive environment where girls can manage their periods without shame or discrimination.
• Building awareness about menstrual health: CRY UK’s project teams conduct interactive sessions to help girls understand their bodies, menstrual cycles, personal hygiene and the safe use of sanitary napkins. By addressing questions and misconceptions, these sessions help girls feel more informed and confident about managing their periods.
• Facilitating pad banks in schools and villages: CRY encourages children to petition local authorities, asking them for free pad banks and sanitary napkin vending machines in schools and communities, wherever feasible. Girls are also encouraged to take responsibility for managing these pad banks, ensuring that menstrual products remain accessible to their peers when needed.
• Creating safe spaces through adolescent collectives: The project staff facilitates adolescent collectives where girls can openly discuss menstruation, share concerns and seek support without embarrassment. These spaces also encourage them to raise concerns affecting their peers and stand up for their menstrual rights.
• Improving sanitation facilities in schools: CRY UK’s project teams work towards establishing separate toilets for girls and boys in schools, along with promoting water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices. Access to clean, functional toilets and water makes it easier for girls to manage their periods safely and continue attending classes.

Conclusion

A girl's education should be shaped by her interests, abilities and aspirations! When she has the knowledge to make informed choices, the confidence to speak up and the support of those around her, she is better placed to take charge of her health and education. Support CRY UK in building a future where every girl can grow up with dignity, make her own choices and realise her dreams.