LUWEERO.
A section of school girls in Luweero District called for a deliberate campaign to help them overcome menstrual hygiene related taboos in community .
At Namaliga Church of Uganda Primary School located in Bombo Town Council, Luweero District a section of the girl children on Wednesday May 28, 2025 opened up about their respective challenges when they enter their menses .
Cases of girls being restricted from walking through road junctions, preparing family food and mixing freely with adult family members among many other restrictions remain a big challenge that many girls struggle to overcome when they get to their respective monthly periods.
One of the girls (name withheld ) a pupil at Namaliga Church of Uganda Primary School said many of peers are restricted from getting involved in preparing meals for the older persons when they are in their monthly menses .
“I have grown up knowing that the girls are not supposed to get involved in preparing family meals for the older persons when they are experiencing their monthly periods.
We are also told not to move through the road junctions among other restrictions,” one of the girls said on Wednesday as the World marked the International Menstrual Hygiene Day, an annual awareness day
But surprisingly, the story changes when she interacts with her senior woman teacher at school who encourages her to be free since the periods are a normal life process for the girls.
“Some fellow girls are more relaxed and free at school than the situation back home,” she explained
But Ms Lukia Nanyombi, a senior female teacher at Namaliga Church of Uganda Primary School explained that while the taboos linked to menstrual hygiene are real in particular communities, the situation is changing as both parents and pupils get exposed to the different sensitization messages regarding menstrual hygiene.
“As teachers, we are encouraged to openly talk about menstrual hygiene in class where the boys get to know that it is a normal life process for the girls. Some schools have safe places where girls can change clothes in case of an emergency. Society is also getting to know that some taboos are a hindrance to the girl child’s rights to equal treatment,” she said .
But Mr Sula Kibira, a programme coordinator at Afra Development and Relief Agency said a recent baseline survey conducted by the organisation about the status of menstrual hygiene in schools in Luweero District shows that many schools don’t have safe places for the girl child.
“We still need to engage the different stakeholders to ready schools in managing menstrual hygiene for the girls.
The schools should be equipped to have extra sanitary towels to handle emergency cases, have safe rooms and stop the stigma and taboos related to menstrual hygiene,” he said at the celebrations to mark the international day of menstrual hygiene held at Namaliga Church of Uganda Primary School.
Because some schools lack the facilities including the emergency pads for the girls, some children are simply sent back home.
Schools should be equipped to avail emergency changing dresses and sanitary pads to the girls, he added
Ms Sarah Nakato, an official from the Luweero District Inspectorate Department said all the schools are encouraged to follow the government policy guidelines on menstrual health and hygiene guidelines.
“But we also appeal to the other stakeholders to boost the campaign to have the girl child stay in school,” she said.