Periods through the ages: El Salvador

This post is part of Plan’s blog series, “Periods through the ages,” highlighting girls and the women in their families as they share period stories and break stigma in their communities.

  In El Salvador, 18-year-old Hazel is participating in another Plan project called The Power of Red Butterflies, which works to break taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation. In a conversation with her family, Hazel’s grandmother, Paz, recounts what she learned from her own mother about menstruation. 

“Well, my mother, she advised me, she told me, ‘No daughter, when you are like this, you have to take care of yourself so that you don’t suffer afterwards.’,” Paz says. “I couldn’t go to the river because the water would enter through the pores in my skin and that was bad.”

Hazel (right) stands in front her family’s home with her mother Ana (left) and grandmother Paz (center). © Plan International | Esteban Martinez

Hazel’s mother, Ana, also had negative experiences with period education growing up, and says that there is still progress to be made for other girls who aren’t in projects like The Power of Red Butterflies. 

“Mothers didn’t talk about it, because they themselves did not receive this important information,” Ana says. “Sometimes you listen to what little you heard at school and that’s all. Here in this community, there are girls who don’t have enough courage to go to buy pads. Why? Because their mothers don’t talk to them about it, so they’re afraid to buy pads. They’re ashamed.”

Hazel shows her grandmother how to use a pad. © Plan International | Esteban Martinez

After joining Plan’s project, Hazel says she feels more confident in talking about menstruation with others. She’s even discussed the topic with her grandfather. 

“I was talking to my grandfather about menstruation, which is something that could not be talked about in the past,” Hazel says. “It was a taboo in society, this subject could not be mentioned. The Power of Red Butterflies project was something that had an impact on my life as a girl. I was taught about my body, and they started to explain to me about my first period, about my menstrual cycle, what methods I can use and how to be prepared for that moment.”

Hazel shows the menstrual health kit received from joining Plan’s project, which includes items like pads and toilet paper. © Plan International | Esteban Martinez