Menstrual Hygiene Management: The challenges facing students and nuns in Bhutan
WASH Field Note
Highlights
Spurred by the growing body of evidence linking poor menstrual hygiene facilities to school absenteeism, a collaborative study by the Ministry of Education, the Bhutan Nuns Foundation, the Religion and Health Project and the Ministry of Health in partnership with UNICEF was undertaken in 2017. The study undertook both qualitative and quantitative approaches to assess the current issues facing Bhutanese schoolgirls and nuns during their menstrual period. Findings confirmed those of many countries across South Asia, highlighting a lack of facilities as a key factor in absenteeism and that, even with adequate sanitary products, a lack of information and societal taboos still impact on a women’s ability to hygienically manage their menstruation.
