Some 87% of educational institutions do not have menstruation-friendly toilet facilities in Bhola district.
A workshop on the role of mass media in improving menstruation hygiene management was held at the Bhola Press Club Auditorium on Wednesday, organized by Plan International Bangladesh's Stop the Stigma Project.
Project Manager of Stop the Stigma Project of Plan International Bangladesh, Nasreen Nahar, cited the key points of a survey conducted in Bhola.
She said that 29% of teenage girls in Bhola did not know about menstruation health services and 53% of teenage girls had little idea about menstruation.
Besides, 34% of schools have no handwashing zone and 65% of educational institutions do not have a system to dispose of napkins.
The survey presented that 78% of educational institutions do not have soap to protect the health of students and 59% of institutions have soap but no water, and no basin.
Due to inadequacy of proper management, the female students remain absent for an average of 36-40 days during the menstrual period.
As a result, a large number of students lag in class, and on the other hand, their exam results are also poor due to their absence in the class.
Therefore, she expressed the opinion that there is a need for an open discussion to increase awareness about menstrual health management.
This project is implemented in Bhola Sadar Upazila by the private development organization Sajeda Foundation.
The project is working to empower adolescent and young women aged 10 to 24 years in 13 unions of Bhola Sadar upazila through Sajeda Foundation and create a supportive environment involving all concerned people in the area to create a supportive environment about menstrual health and hygiene.
This three-year project started working in May 2022 in some 34 secondary schools and 16 madrasas in Bhola upazila. A total of 100 resource teachers have been selected and trained two each from each school to create awareness among students about menstrual health management who are creating a supportive environment by conducting sessions every month.