UNICEF-WHO Report Highlights Global Menstrual Health and Hygiene Gaps in Schools

Addressing these critical gaps in menstrual health and hygiene, along with broader water, sanitation, and hygiene issues, is essential for promoting health, well-being, and educational opportunities for all children globally.

Around the world, menstrual health and hygiene needs are being overlooked due to limited access to information, education, products, services, and inadequate facilities. A new report, Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools 2000-2023: Special Focus on Menstrual Health, launched by UNICEF and WHO on Menstrual Hygiene Day, analyses for the first time emerging national data on menstrual health and hygiene in schools globally.

Key Findings:

Limited Menstrual Health Education:

Only 39% of schools worldwide provide menstrual health education, increasing to 84% in secondary schools in Central and Southern Asia compared to just 34% in primary schools.

Inadequate Waste Disposal:

Globally, only 31% of schools have bins for menstrual waste in girls’ toilets. This figure drops to 17% in the least developed countries and just 11% in sub-Saharan Africa.

Scarcity of Menstrual Products:

Menstrual products are not always available, with only 12% of schools in sub-Saharan Africa providing these materials for free or for purchase.

Lack of Private Spaces:

Many adolescent schoolgirls lack access to clean toilets or private spaces to change menstrual products in school.

Inequalities in Access to Water and Soap:

Girls in urban areas, private schools, and girls-only schools are more likely to have access to a private place with water and soap, highlighting significant inequalities within countries.

Lack of Preparedness for Menstruation:

Many around the world are unaware or unprepared for menstruation. For example, less than half of the girls surveyed in Ethiopia knew about periods before experiencing them.

Widespread Stigma:

Stigma related to menstruation remains widespread, affecting mental health and school attendance among adolescents.

Lack of Teacher Training:

No national datasets exist on the number of teachers trained to teach about menstrual hygiene, indicating a significant gap in educational support.

Limited Data Tracking:

Only 30 countries track at least one of the globally recommended priority indicators, impeding comprehensive understanding and efforts to address the issues.

Examples of Progress:

Countries like Zambia and the Philippines have shown improvements in making menstrual products and services available in schools, demonstrating that change is possible with targeted policies and investments.

The report underscores the urgent need for global action to improve menstrual health and hygiene in schools to ensure every schoolgirl can manage her menstruation with dignity, safety, and confidence.

Broader Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Issues:

The report also highlights broader issues of access to water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools. Currently, 447 million children lack basic drinking water services, 427 million lack basic sanitation services, and 646 million do not have access to basic hygiene services. Achieving the relevant Sustainable Development Goal by 2030 will require a two-fold increase in current rates of progress for basic drinking water and sanitation services and a four-fold increase for basic hygiene services.

Addressing these critical gaps in menstrual health and hygiene, along with broader water, sanitation, and hygiene issues, is essential for promoting health, well-being, and educational opportunities for all children globally.