Always Empowering Girls to Manage Puberty
UNESCO and Procter & Gamble Always brand are launching the first good policy and practice publication on puberty education and menstrual hygiene management at the United Nations in New York today, March 13.
The launch will coincide with this year’s United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women meeting.
Puberty Education and Menstrual Hygiene Management, the ninth publication in the UNESCO series Good Policy and Practice in Health Education, seeks to help overcome the ignorance and shame millions of girls feel.
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Puberty is a time of change for all young people, but it is particularly challenging for girls who are confused about the changes in their body, which can become a major obstacle to their education.
Far too many girls are unprepared for menstruation. In fact, in some parts of the world, two out of three girls reported having no idea of what was happening to them when they began menstruating.
This can have many negative effects on their physical and emotional development, leading to a drop in self-esteem and poor performance at school.
The publication identifies ways for all partners to work together on puberty education and menstrual hygiene management starting in primary school.
It also provides clear recommendations on what is required to remove the stigma associated with menstruation and offer opportunities to all girls to grow up to become fully empowered women.
