Keywords
School Absenteeism
MHM Policies
Gender and Education
Reproductive Health
How to Cite
Abstract
Menstruation remains a significant barrier to education for girls, resulting from deep-seated social taboos and restrictions and inadequate water and sanitation (WASH) facilities in schools. This paper examines the factors related to menstruation related school absenteeism by combining scholarly literature with original research work. The survey draws from 1200 school-going menstruators across ten schools in Kolkata during the span of January to October 2024. Findings are analysed through the theoretical lens of “push” and “pull” factors. Findings reveal that while “pull” factors such as family restrictions and painful menstruation are significant factors of school absenteeism, “push” factors are dominant: 74.4% cited dirty toilets while 47.3% cited absence of sanitary napkins as reasons for absenteeism. Furthermore, the paper critically reviews menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and school sanitation policies revealing an overwhelming emphasis on infrastructure at the cost of overall behaviour change and MHM education. The paper argues for a paradigm shift in MHM policies and education towards a more integrated holistic approach as imperative for breaking barriers of educational access during menstruation.
References
1. Aduika, Agbota. 2017. “Sanitation and Education.” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 9 (2): 1–33.
2. Anand, Tanu, and S. Garg. 2015. “Menstruation Related Myths in India: Strategies for Combating It.” Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care 4 (2): 184–86.
3. Coleman, R. M. 2011. “The Human Right of Sanitation for All: A Study of India.” Global Business and Development Law Journal 24 (1): 121–48.
4. Dutta, Sangeeta. 2018. “23 Million Women Drop Out of School Every Year When They Start Menstruating in India.” NDTV, May 28, 2018. https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/23-million-women-drop-out-of-school-every-year-when-they-start-menstruating-in-india-17838/.
5. Koonan, Sujith. 2019. “Sanitation Interventions in India: Gender Myopia and Implications for Gender Equality.” Indian Journal of Gender Studies 26 (1–2): 88–114.
6. Lifewater International. 2019. “Sanitation for Women: The Problem and Solution.” December 23, 2019. https://lifewater.org/blog/sanitation-for-women/.
7. Mason, L., A. Sivakami, H. Thakur, N. Kakade, A. Beauman, K. T. Alexander, P. A. van Eijke, et al. 2017. “‘We Do Not Know’: A Qualitative Study Exploring Boys’ Perceptions of Menstruation in India.” Reproductive Health 14 (1): 1–11.
8. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. 2014. Clean India: Clean Schools—A Handbook. New Delhi: Government of India.
9. Ministry of Urban Development, and Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. 2008. National School Sanitation Manual. New Delhi: Government of India.
10. Muralidharan, A., A. Patil, and K. Patkar. 2015. “Unpacking the Policy Landscape for Menstrual Hygiene Management: Implications for School WASH Programmes in India.” Waterlines 34 (1): 79–91.
11. Thakur, H., L. Arons, D. Stankus, and C. G. Gluston. 2014. “Knowledge, Practices, and Restrictions Related to Menstruation among Young Women from Low Socioeconomic Community in Mumbai, India.” Frontiers in Public Health 2 (72): 1–7.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.