Breaking period stigma with Tomrongpich

12 March 2025, Siem Reap – “Our voice is so powerful,” says content creator, Tomgrongpich. She’s been in Siem Reap with UNICEF getting children to open up about periods.

“What surprised me the most was that most of the students are very brave and have a lot of knowledge on menstrual hygiene,” she says.

She met with students at Kouk Doung High School, where both boys and girls have been learning about puberty and menstrual health and hygiene. She saw how UNICEF is helping to break taboos, empower girls with the knowledge on how to take care of their health without shame, and teach boys why they should be learning about periods, too.

“This is what we want to see. We want to see both boys and girls having the courage to raise their voice and talk about periods. It’s important we can talk about it openly.”

In rural Cambodia, shyness, enduring period myths, and a lack of access to information or adequate WASH facilities at school are still preventing girls from learning how to manage their period hygienically. Across the country, 63 per cent of schools have no basic toilets that are separated by sex and usable (meaning available, functional and private).¹ For many poor women and girls, the cost of sanitary materials can also lead to unhygienic practices.

Myths and taboos teach young girls that periods should be kept secret, especially in front of boys. Some girls learn that they can get pregnant if they touch a boy while menstruating, or that period blood can be used for black magic.

“As a young girl, periods were not openly talked about,” says Tomrongpich. “Girls thought that it was forbidden, that it’s something embarrassing and disgusting. This kind of stigma meant that girls could not receive support. And when they learn the wrong thing, they won't take care of their hygiene properly. It might affect their health.”

UNICEF has been supporting the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport’s School Health Department to roll out trainings on menstrual health and hygiene for teachers and members of school youth councils across five schools in Siem Reap. Recipients of the training are then encouraged to share their knowledge with the rest of the school. UNICEF has supported trainings for 34 teachers (18 females) and 78 youth council members (55 girls), reaching 2,130 students, including 1,290 girls and 4 students with disability.

As part of the sessions, both boys and girls learn how to make period cycle bracelets and washable cloth sanitary pads, an alternative to disposable sanitary products that help girls and women save money and encourage better hygiene, in addition to the environmental benefits. 

She says she hopes that getting girls and boys together for open conversations and shared learning experiences can empower girls with the confidence to speak up and seek support when they need it.

“Girls and women are human resources for our society,” she says. “If women are healthy, the human resources of our country are full of potential as well.”

“It's very important for me to help raise awareness because having boys and girls talking about periods openly is a success of women empowerment,” she adds. “It's what my mission and vision is about. UNICEF and I, our mission is aligned because we want to create a world where girls can talk freely about their period, so that they have a better understanding of how to take care of themselves.”