Uganda: Stitching Confidence and Dignity - Adolescent Girls Tackle Period Poverty in Uganda

What the report says

In Gulu District in northern Uganda, adolescent girls and teenage mothers in Omel Sub-County are taking part in a menstrual health and livelihoods effort aimed at reducing period poverty and its effects on schooling and community participation. The article says limited access to affordable sanitary materials has pushed some girls to miss class, rely on unsafe alternatives or withdraw because of stigma and discomfort.

According to the published report, the Spotlight Initiative supported UNFPA in Uganda and BRAC Uganda to bring menstrual hygiene management into youth clubs for adolescents. At the Tic Ma Tek Girls Empowerment and Livelihood Club, participants received training on menstrual health, puberty and adolescence before learning how to make reusable sanitary pads. Trainers also covered how to use, clean and maintain the pads, with the goal of giving girls a practical skill they can use at home and share with others.

The story says the initiative is aimed at strengthening confidence and dignity among vulnerable girls, including teenage mothers in rural communities. It cites education ministry figures saying many girls in low-income households miss school during menstruation and that shame remains a widespread barrier. More broadly, reusable pad training is one approach used in some development programs to improve menstrual hygiene, school attendance and peer support, though the specific outcomes for this project were not detailed in the source material.