Did you know that women menstruate on an average for 3000 days in their lifetime? This requires very practical needs regarding the space for washing and cleaning. Especially for adolescent girls, clean and private toilet facilities at school strongly influence their performance, and increase the chance to complete their education.

If girls are to stay in school to acquire the skills to excel in life, they need access to private and hygienic facilities. In many countries, girls stay home during their menstruation days because the absence of a safe place to change and clean themselves makes them feel unsecure. In India, recent research shows that 23% of girls drop out of school all together when they reach puberty.

Besides the emotional stress, poor menstrual hygiene often leads to health problems such as abdominal pains, urinal infections and other diseases. Girls facing health problems are less able to concentrate and perform during their education.

Girls and women make up almost half of the population, yet menstrual hygiene and its management receive little attention. This culture of silence is one of the largest taboos that still needs to be broken. WASH programmes for schools provide a major opportunity to address girls needs, by focusing on the practical dimensions such as appropriate girl friendly latrine facilities as well as on hygiene education and general awareness of menstruation challenges.