The future girls want is one where they can learn, lead and live without limits. But right now, too many obstacles stand in their way. In our “Future girls want” blog series, we’re shining a light on how education is the key to unlocking the future girls want for themselves, and how it impacts every area of their lives — from health to safety to civic participation.
Today, we’re talking about how education impacts a girl’s menstrual health — and vice versa.
It’s no secret…
Norma was 9 years old when she got her first period.
When she saw that she was bleeding, she was scared and thought something was wrong.
Like many girls in Guatemala — and around the world — Norma hadn’t learned about her period, so she had no idea what was happening to her.
Menstrual health is an important part of girls’ and women’s overall well-being. But it’s a topic that isn’t talked about enough. In many cultures, menstruation is considered taboo — and girls are paying the price for the silence that surrounds it.
The stigma around menstruation reinforces negative gender stereotypes, keeping girls and women from confidently navigating school and work environments. It allows myths to persist, such as the belief that menstruation makes girls unclean. This can isolate girls, making it difficult for them to feel comfortable during their periods.
Without open conversations, girls may not receive accurate information about their bodies, leading to confusion and fear. This can result in unhealthy practices or misunderstandings about reproductive health.
Studies show period poverty — the lack of access to menstrual products, adequate sanitation and education about menstruation — not only affects girls’ health and well-being but also significantly limits their educational potential. Forced to miss days of school each month, girls fall further and further behind, and in some cases, they drop out altogether.
For those who do attend school, discomfort and embarrassment can prevent them from fully participating. This affects their confidence and ability to concentrate, leading to reduced engagement. When girls fall behind, it affects their career prospects, economic opportunities and personal development. This, in turn, perpetuates cycles of poverty and gender inequality.
For Norma, her struggles with menstrual health didn’t end with her first period.
“Once, I stained my clothes at school and they teased me,” Norma said. “Boys would start pointing me out. I was afraid to go to school in case I stained myself again. I had a lot of fear and embarrassment, I didn’t want to go to school.”
Education is key
So, how do we break the cycle? Well, the first step is to talk about it.
Education is one of the most powerful tools in breaking down the menstrual health barriers that girls face. With accurate information and support, girls can manage their period with dignity and confidence. Without it, the consequences can be dire.
That’s why Plan International embarked on a partnership with Kimberly-Clark, its foundation and the company’s Kotex® and Scott brands in 2020, with a goal to shape a future where no girl is held back from reaching her full potential. Together, we have implemented 12 menstrual health and water, sanitation and hygiene projects in 10 countries in South America, Asia and Africa.
We know from experience that the reach and impact of menstrual health programs is significantly increased when there is a strong educational component. So, our projects take a comprehensive approach to menstrual health, meeting girls’ immediate needs for supplies, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to understand menstruation and creating a supportive environment that is free of period myths and stigmas.
"I learned about what happens in the evolution of our body and the different changes, as well as the freedom and security to express ourselves in public, breaking those taboos that perhaps at some point made us women feel afraid or insecure about issues related to our menstruation.” – Program participant in Colombia
Gender-inclusive menstrual health education fosters empathy, breaks down harmful stereotypes and promotes community-wide support. We engage with entire communities — girls, boys, parents, teachers and leaders —to change harmful beliefs, debunk myths and encourage open discussions, creating platforms of learning with and from youth and families, students and teachers, and children and community leaders alike.
92% of young people surveyed in Colombia now have a moderate understanding of menstrual health, compared to 18% when the project started.
Since 2021, 1.5 million people in 10 countries have been reached through awareness-raising campaigns.
We also work with health care providers to make sure their services are adolescent-friendly, so that girls don’t feel ashamed to go to the doctor and talk about their period.
“Before the project, menstruation was a very secretive and sensitive topic, and no one ever dared to mention or discuss it. We would be very embarrassed if someone found out we’re menstruating.” — Program participant in Vietnam
Young people taking the lead
An essential component of our menstrual health programs is youth leadership. The active involvement of girls in every step of the process ensures that programs align with their needs and priorities, promoting local ownership and sustainability.
Plan, in partnership with Kimberly-Clark, trains young people in menstrual health education to act as advocates and lead trainings with their peers in the community. This peer education model empowers adolescents to be leaders of change, instilling values of confidence and agency, while creating a ripple effect of knowledge dissemination within and across communities.
10,481 young people trained as advocates to lead educational trainings with other youth and community members.
In Brazil, 475 girls graduated from the Leadership School for Girls course, which required participation in 20 classes on knowing your rights, menstruation, dignity and respect, equality, leadership and empowerment. The girls created a campaign called “My Cycle, My Rules,” making and distributing bracelets with beads that represented the stages in the menstrual cycle. They reached more than 400,000 people, educating their peers and creating a movement to wear the bracelets as a symbol of breaking the stigma around menstruation.
"The project has given us the opportunity to feel recognized and that we are heard. It has allowed us to have more confidence that we can talk about menstruation among women, but also with our classmates and with our family." — Alina, a program participant in Peru
79% of program participants surveyed in Peru can identify harmful period myths and stigmas, compared to only 35% when the project started.
Setting girls up for success
Making period products available for free or at low cost in schools, communities and workplaces is essential in the fight against period poverty, and this is a key component of our menstrual health programs.
In partnership with Kimberly-Clark, we’ve distributed 41,972 menstrual health and hygiene kits in 10 countries since 2021.
But girls need more than pads or tampons to manage their periods — they also need access to clean water and private bathrooms. Unfortunately, many schools lack adequate girl-friendly bathroom facilities.
15% of adolescent girls surveyed in Nigeria now skip school due to their period, compared to 49% when the project started.
Our menstrual health work involves building bathrooms where students can safely manage their periods while at school. This means creating spaces that have locking doors for privacy, enough space to move around, access to clean running water, enough light to see and a spot to set down their personal items so they’re not on the floor.
Programs that integrate menstrual health with water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives are more effective in holistically responding to the needs of adolescent girls and young women. This multisectoral approach proves to be the most powerful and impactful.
"Now going to the bathroom is different, it is clean, well-cared for and everything is working; in addition to that there is security at the doors. Before I didn’t like going to the bathroom because they were useless, and it was unsafe.” — Gladys, program participant in Ecuador
Girls want a future where they have the information, resources and support to manage their period with confidence and dignity, so they can pursue their dreams without interruption. Together, we can break the cycle of inequality, one school day at a time.
