Staff Reporter :
At least 30 per cent adolescent girls remain absent from their schools during menstruation due to lack of appropriate facilities and support in schools to manage the situation, a government survey said.
Besides, at least 64 per cent schoolgirls are not imparted menstrual health education in their institution, found the National Hygiene Survey 2018.
It was disclosed at a programme of Menstrual Hygiene Day 2019 in the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE).
DPHE with the association of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) organised the discussion to mark the day to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene.
DPHE Executive Engineer Sharmistha Debnath said the rate of schoolgirls missing schools due to menstruation was 30 per cent in 2018 and 40 in 2014.
The rate of schools imparting menstrual health education was 36 per cent in 2018 and six 6 per cent in 2014.
Besides, the rate of girls who heard about menstruation before menarche was 53 per cent in 2018, which was 36 per cent in 2014.
Commenting on the findings, Senior Secretary of Local Government Division
Ghulam Farooque said that there has been progress in the indicators related to schoolgirls’ menstrual hygiene management, but still there are long way to overcome the barriers about menstruation.
The factors for school absence include girls’ attitude about menstruation, misconceptions about it, insufficient and inadequate facilities in school, and family restriction, experts said.
Enabling girls to manage menstruation at schools by providing knowledge and management methods prior to menarche, privacy and a positive social environment around menstrual issues has the potential to benefit students by reducing school absence, they said.
Ghulam Farooque said separate wash facility at schools for girls and boys is crucially important and the government is working on it.
He said, construction of separate wash facilities were completed in 32,000 primary schools and the works were going on in 65,000 schools.
Speaking as the chief guest, State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee said there were taboos and misconceptions about menstruation though it was a part of life of girls and women.
‘It is unfortunate that still we cannot openly discuss about the menstruation in the family and social sphere,’ he said.
Swapan said menstrual hygiene is related to a healthy reproductive life of women who consist of 50 per cent of the population and healthy menstrual hygiene is crucial for achieving women empowerment, gender equality and overall development of the country.
DPHE Chief Engineer Saifur Rahman and local government division Additional Secretary Roxana Quader, among others, spoke.
At least 30 per cent adolescent girls remain absent from their schools during menstruation due to lack of appropriate facilities and support in schools to manage the situation, a government survey said.
Besides, at least 64 per cent schoolgirls are not imparted menstrual health education in their institution, found the National Hygiene Survey 2018.
It was disclosed at a programme of Menstrual Hygiene Day 2019 in the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE).
DPHE with the association of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) organised the discussion to mark the day to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene.
DPHE Executive Engineer Sharmistha Debnath said the rate of schoolgirls missing schools due to menstruation was 30 per cent in 2018 and 40 in 2014.
The rate of schools imparting menstrual health education was 36 per cent in 2018 and six 6 per cent in 2014.
Besides, the rate of girls who heard about menstruation before menarche was 53 per cent in 2018, which was 36 per cent in 2014.
Commenting on the findings, Senior Secretary of Local Government Division
Ghulam Farooque said that there has been progress in the indicators related to schoolgirls’ menstrual hygiene management, but still there are long way to overcome the barriers about menstruation.
The factors for school absence include girls’ attitude about menstruation, misconceptions about it, insufficient and inadequate facilities in school, and family restriction, experts said.
Enabling girls to manage menstruation at schools by providing knowledge and management methods prior to menarche, privacy and a positive social environment around menstrual issues has the potential to benefit students by reducing school absence, they said.
Ghulam Farooque said separate wash facility at schools for girls and boys is crucially important and the government is working on it.
He said, construction of separate wash facilities were completed in 32,000 primary schools and the works were going on in 65,000 schools.
Speaking as the chief guest, State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee said there were taboos and misconceptions about menstruation though it was a part of life of girls and women.
‘It is unfortunate that still we cannot openly discuss about the menstruation in the family and social sphere,’ he said.
Swapan said menstrual hygiene is related to a healthy reproductive life of women who consist of 50 per cent of the population and healthy menstrual hygiene is crucial for achieving women empowerment, gender equality and overall development of the country.
DPHE Chief Engineer Saifur Rahman and local government division Additional Secretary Roxana Quader, among others, spoke.
