From Silence to Strength
How Kandhamal’s School Corners are Redefining Dignity for Girls
- English
- हिंदी
As the winding paths of Kandhamal, a deeply forested tribal district in eastern India’s state of Odisha, lead us through the Eastern Ghats to the Dutimendi and Dutipada schools, celebration hums softly in the air. A quiet transformation is unfolding in spaces that were once silent.
Across Odisha, child marriage rates have fallen, driven partly by the powerful ripple effects of visionary developmental programmes. The Government’s national Swachh Bharat Mission laid the foundation by providing toilets in schools, helping girls stay in class with dignity. Building on this, ADVIKA — the state’s flagship adolescent empowerment initiative under the State Strategic Action Plan to End Child Marriage, supported by UNICEF and UNFPA — now reaches more than 2.5 million adolescents across all 30 districts. By linking health, education, rights, and menstrual dignity, it weaves these gains into a single, compelling story of empowerment for every young person.
Menstrual Health Management (MHM) Corners in schools and confidence
In this tribal region, menstruation was spoken about in hushed tones for generations—often becoming a reason for silence, school absence, or early marriage. Many girls would drop out of school or miss classes during their periods. The onset of puberty was traditionally marked by community celebrations, but it also signalled the initiation of marriage for young girls.
Challenging these deeply entrenched beliefs, the ADVIKA programme and Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) initiatives in tribal Kandhamal are creating new opportunities for girls—helping them stay in school, and shape a different future.
At Dutimendi Panchayat High School, Payal, a Grade 9 student, remembers when menstruation meant missing class.
“Earlier, I used to stay home whenever I got my period. I felt embarrassed. Now the MHM corners give us a private space, toilets to change and pads,” she says.
Here, the MHM corner, a clean, private space beside the girls’ toilet, offers sanitary pads, safe water, disposal bins, and educational posters in Odia and tribal dialects. With guidance from Headmaster Niranjan Jena and Ramakanta Nanda, the corner is more than a facility; its inclusion is made visible. UNICEF’s technical support ensured it became part of school life rather than a one-time intervention.
Shipra Saxena, WASH Specialist, UNICEF Odisha, said, “The space of privacy, dignity, and interaction that the girls have — the fact that they are continuing their education with confidence — shows that the initiative is working. They now have access to pads, space for disposal, and a space for discussion. The girls are happy; it is their self-space.”
Teachers Who Led the Change
At Dutipada Government High School, Headmistress Ambica Pradhan and teacher Ms. Khuntia began with conversations, not construction.
“It wasn’t enough to build a corner,” Pradhan recalls. “We had to make it meaningful. Girls had to feel safe there. Today, they do.”
“Earlier, girls stayed home during menstruation,” Ms. Khuntia adds. “Now they come to school, attend sessions, and even share what they learn with their classmates."
The Ripple Effect: When Girls Stay in School
The connection between menstrual health, youth empowerment and early marriage prevention is now tangible. When attendance improves, dropout rates fall. And when girls continue their education, early marriage becomes less likely.
This link is clear in Dubagada village, where 14-year-old Saismruti lives. Traditionally, when a girl attained menarche, her family held the Bada Jhia Hela ritual, a quiet signal that marriage discussions could begin. “Through ADVIKA, I learned about my rights and it helped me say no to child marriage,” says Saismruti. “When my family performed the ritual, we still celebrated, but I also told them, I want to study first.”
Her mother, Merubasi Behera, nods proudly. “Earlier, the ceremony meant the girl was ready for marriage. Now it means she’s ready to go for higher classes in school.”
A Convergent Model of Change
The District Education Office in Kandhamal, working closely with UNICEF, ensured these efforts moved beyond infrastructure to influence the behaviour of parents.
UNICEF has helped make the corners inclusive and sustainable: training teachers, engaging peer educators, aligning facilities with student feedback, and embedding menstrual hygiene management within school health and life-skills education.
William J. Hanlon, Chief of the Field Office, UNICEF Odisha, said, “UNICEF is proud to support these convergent initiatives that link menstrual health, education, and child protection. By addressing menstrual health and child marriage together, we are encouraging that every girl in Odisha grows up with confidence — able to learn, thrive, and realize her full rights and potential.”
Across Odisha, the ADVIKA framework integrates adolescent health, empowerment, and legal literacy. With more than 100,000 trained peer leaders and 14,000 villages declared child-marriage-free, the model demonstrates how convergence works when dignity becomes the focus.
From Corners to Communities
Today, at Dutimendi and Dutipada, the once-silent corners are alive with colour and conversation. Girls laugh as they refill soap dispensers, teachers guide discussions on hygiene and rights, and anganwadi workers visit every week to speak with the adolescent girls.
In Kandhamal, menstrual health and child marriage prevention are no longer separate stories; they are interwoven in conversations on the need for secondary education and stopping early marriage.
As the sun sets behind the hills, Payal and Saismruti walk home, schoolbags on their backs, carrying the quiet confidence that their futures are now their own.
