This article is part of Plan International EU’s International Women’s Day series “Girls Speak to the EU,” where young women from around the world raise their voices, share the challenges faced by their communities, and challenge the European Union to take action.
A blog by Joselyne, global young influencer (Rwanda)
“You shouldn’t be here. Your place is in the kitchen: cooking, cleaning, and taking care of your husband. And when you go to school, you shouldn’t study Science, Technology, Mathematics, or Engineering, because that’s not what girls do. Focus on subjects that will lead you to become a secretary, nurse, librarian, or a teacher”.
These are the kinds of messages many girls grow up hearing. They shape expectations about who girls should be and what they should become. In many communities, a girl’s dreams are often limited long before she even understands her own potential. But beyond these expectations, another barrier quietly disrupts girls’ lives every month: menstruation.
Silence and stigma around menstruation
Where do I even begin? For many girls, menstruation is not just a natural biological process. It becomes a reason to miss school. Not because they feel tired, and not because they don’t value education, but because they simply lack access to safe and affordable menstrual hygiene products.
Girls often miss up to five days of school each month, sometimes even more. Not because they don’t love learning, but because their bodies are doing what bodies naturally do. I have seen girls washing disposable pads, using dirty pieces of cloth, and carrying infections simply because menstrual products are either unavailable or too expensive. How can we claim to provide education to girls if they cannot stay in school during their periods?
I remember being denied the chance to hold my little sister when she was born simply because I was menstruating. Everyone else was allowed to hold her, but I was not. That moment made me feel as though something natural about my body was shameful. It reduced my sense of agency as a girl and made menstruation feel like a curse rather than a normal part of life.
Even today, many parents don’t fully understand the importance of menstrual hygiene. Boys still shame girls when they are menstruating, and many schools and workplaces are not designed to create supportive environments where girls and women can manage their periods with dignity. In some communities, myths still exist that a menstruating woman should not go to the farm because crops will not grow. Such beliefs reinforce stigma and silence around menstruation.
I remember being denied the chance to hold my little sister when she was born simply because I was menstruating
Joselyne
Widening the gender divide
At the same time, society often begins shaping a girl’s future very early. Girls are encouraged to prepare for marriage and guided toward careers considered “appropriate” for them such as becoming secretaries, nurses, librarians, or teachers, while boys are encouraged to dream of becoming engineers, scientists, pilots, or soldiers. These expectations quietly limit girls’ ambitions and opportunities.
But the consequences of period poverty go even further. When girls repeatedly miss school during menstruation, they begin to fall behind in their studies. Over time, some drop out completely. Once a girl leaves school, her vulnerability increases significantly. For many adolescent girls, dropping out of school can lead to early or forced marriage, not because they want it, but because society begins to see marriage as the only path left for them. Their dreams become smaller in the eyes of others, and decisions about their lives are often made without their voice.
Time for equal opportunity
This is where I must speak clearly: I object. I object to a world where a natural biological process becomes a barrier to a girl’s education. I object to systems that allow girls to miss school, lose opportunities, and eventually be pushed into early marriage simply because they lacked access to something as basic as a sanitary pad. And I object to the silence and stigma that continue to surround menstruation, preventing girls from speaking openly about their needs and rights.
Addressing period poverty is therefore not only about health, but also about education, dignity, equality, and the freedom for girls to shape their own futures.
The European Union, as a global development partner and a supporter of girls’ education worldwide, has an important role to play. Through its external action and development cooperation, the EU can help ensure that girls everywhere have the support they need to stay in school and participate fully in society.
To support girls and protect their rights, I call on the European Union to take action by:
- Investing in programmes that ensure menstrual products are accessible and affordable for all adolescent girls, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
- Supporting community awareness initiatives that challenge stigma and misinformation surrounding menstruation and promote open conversations about menstrual health.
- Promoting investments in safe, hygienic, and girl-friendly sanitation facilities in schools and community spaces so that girls can manage their periods with dignity and safety.
Every girl deserves the right to learn, grow, and pursue her dreams without interruption. Menstruation should never be a barrier to education, dignity, or opportunity. When girls are supported and empowered, they can fully participate in shaping their communities and building a more equal future.
About the Author
Joselyne is a 25-year-old passionate gender activist, poet, and youth leader committed to advancing gender equality, meaningful youth participation, and inclusive development. She currently serves as Programmes Lead at Impanuro Girls Initiative (IGI), where she oversees programmes focused on health promotion, women economic empowerment and leadership, and education.
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Categories: Education, Youth empowerment