Girls Menstrual Education Empowerment

4/5/2023

Girls' Menstruation Education Empowerment: Society's Role in Supporting Girls' in Education

Menstruation is painful and can cause embarrassment and inconvenience if not handled appropriately. In education, young girls need more prudence and support through their menstruation. For this to be achieved everyone has to give a hand.

Menstruation commences at the age of 10 – 16 years. It begins with ovulation which causes a thick lining to develop around the uterine wall. If the ovum doesn’t get fertilised, the lining disintegrates 12 – 14 days from ovulation. It comes out as blood called menstruate through the vaginal opening. It occurs once every 4 weeks and lasts 3 - 7 days.

Lack of access to safe and hygienic menstrual products can have significant impacts, especially on girls' education. According to research, 49% of girls have skipped a whole day of school due to their periods, and out of those, 59% have resorted to fabricating excuses to avoid attending school. This results in approximately 137,700 children in the UK missing school annually due to period poverty.

A girl holding her stomach during her menstrual cycle.

Photo by DNA India

Menstruation Education: How Can Everyone Help Girls?

They’re several ways people living around school going girls can help them feel comfortable as they go through menstruation. Menstruation during puberty or for the first time comes randomly. This may lead to unpredicted inconvenience if a girl’s clothes get blood attained. Girls are advised to immediately approach any adult around for help. The public too should receive with open hands, all girls in need of help on menstruation.

Menstruation brings abdominal pain caused by contraction of the uterus as it shades off the developed walls. Parents and guardians are therefore advised to teach their daughters different ways of reducing the pain. These include; lying down and relaxing while breathing slowly and deeply, slowly rolling a hot water bottle over the belly, using fingers for stroking the belly back, taking pain killers among others.

Addressing the challenges during girls' menstrual cycle:

To address these challenges, schools and communities can provide menstrual cycle health education. Schools are also encouraged to acquire extra uniforms for girls undergoing menstruation. These will be meant for girls with heavy periods which might stain their uniform. In addition, the public should encourage young menstruating girls to take fluids like juice and water to replenish the lost fluids.

Community leaders should also organize a donation based funding project to provide free reusable pads to school going girls since some parents aren’t able to afford pads for their daughters. This is caused by a hand to mouth type of economy which is very common in Africa.

Credit to TED

Menstruation Education Empowerment:The Detrimental Impact of Menstruation Stigma on Girls' Education

Menstruation is looked at as a source of humor and an abnormality by mostly men and boys in society. This leads to depression among menstruating school going girls further leading to poor performance in class. Volunteers should rise and advise people in public gatherings on the impact caused by negative reaction to menstruation. Health education on menstruation can also help dispel common myths and stigmas surrounding menstruation.

Concerned people should stop myths from being spread by malicious members of the public that menstruation is a sign that a girl is ready for sex. This willing guard against early pregnancy which would lead to school dropout.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is a worldwide initiative that unites non-profit organizations, government agencies, individuals, businesses, and the media to advocate for improved menstrual health and hygiene (MHH). MHH is celebrated on May 28th every year. Its primary objectives are to challenge taboos, raise awareness, and transform negative societal attitudes surrounding MHH. Additionally, MH Day actively involves policymakers to enhance the political importance of MHH and drive tangible actions at global, national, and local levels.

A girl thinking about the products she need to take care of during her menstrual cycle.

Photo by Health Shots

Sustainable Menstrual Hygiene Solutions for School Girls: Education and Support

In order to tackle the challenges faced by girls who cannot afford menstrual hygiene products, we propose the implementation of homemade reusable pads and accessible public distribution, complemented by nutritional support and psychological counseling.

Homemade reusable pads: Provide instructions to domestic tailors for making reusable pads to address the needs of girls who cannot afford disposable pads.

Public availability: Make these homemade reusable pads accessible to girls in need by placing them in public spaces.

Balanced feeding: Promote a balanced diet for menstruating girls, including iron-rich foods like beans and green vegetables, to replenish lost iron during menstruation and prevent conditions like anemia.

Psychological support: Recognize the psychological tension experienced by girls before menstruation, leading to mood changes. Encourage girls to seek advice and counseling from trusted individuals or professional counselors.

Appointment of professional counselors: Establish a team of professional counselors who specialize in addressing the emotional needs of girls during menstruation.

Encouraging communication: Create an environment where girls are encouraged to approach counselors and seek support when they need it.

If the above methods are technically applied by people living around girls in education, the life of girls will gain value. This will instead provide a flat platform for competition between boys and girls in Africa leading to a fast and steadily growing Africa. Overall, education about menstruation is crucial for young girls' health and wellbeing. By providing menstrual cycle education and support, we can ensure that girls have the resources and knowledge to manage their menstrual cycles with confidence and dignity.

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What is your opinion on implementing comprehensive menstrual health education in schools?
Options:
A) It is necessary to empower young people with knowledge about menstruation.
B) Parents should be solely responsible for educating their children about menstruation.
C) It is unnecessary and may make students uncomfortable.
D) I'm not sure/I have no opinion.

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Barriers To Girls' Education in Africa

Find out about the top 5 Barriers and obstacles to girl child education in developing countries The Gambia.

It is vital for men to recognize the value and importance of women empowerment. By supporting efforts to promote gender equality, men can help create an inclusive and equitable society for everyone.

An equal world is one where girls and boys enjoy the similar resources, treated and rewarded the same way.

Gender Equality in Technology and Innovation

14/2/2023

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DigitALL: Gender Equality in Technology and Innovation

With technological development and innovation increasing at an unprecedented rate, new opportunities, and challenges are being presented to the world. However, not everyone automatically benefits from these changes and some people face the brunt of the challenges. Women and girls continue to struggle to catch up to the changes and associated benefits.

When innovation and technology are mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is digital technology. Digital technology involves electronic resources, tools, systems, and devices which make the storage, generation, or processing of data possible. These encompass the internet and mobile technologies, digital networks, services, applications, and content; virtual and augmented reality; connected devices and environments; old and new systems of media, information, and communication; artificial intelligence including machine learning such as data analytics, robotics, and automated systems and lastly, biometrics and biotechnology.

Benefits of Digital Technology and Innovation for Women

Digital literacy and access to innovation and technology are essential skills for employability. They also provide new economic opportunities as up to 90% of jobs now have a digital component. This means that digitally literate women can have better access to life-changing information and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Access to innovation and technology means women and girls can have the opportunity to overcome challenges they may have in the physical world. This is because digital access increases their civic engagement, raises awareness of their rights, and helps expand their sense of self in the world.

Another key benefit to digital adoption and use is that women and girls will have fewer barriers to workforce participation as they will be able to compete for job opportunities with their male counterparts.

Children in African using digital tablet

Gender disparities in Technology and Innovation

Despite the benefits of the adoption of digital technology and innovation, clear geographic, economic, and social gaps persist when access is considered such as those related to gender. The digital world is a stark replication of gender inequality in the physical world. It is believed that more than 50% of the women in the world are offline (International Telecommunications Union), particularly in developing countries which have an internet penetration rate of 41% for women compared to 53% for men. Up to 393 million adult women in developing countries do not own mobile phones and are 8% less likely to own a mobile phone than men. This is around 23% for Sub-Saharan Africa. Women in sub-Saharan Africa are 23% less likely to own a mobile phone.

For girls, those between the ages of 15 and 19 are less likely to have used the internet in the last 12 months, along with lower mobile phone ownership. Comparatively, 46% of boys use the internet on their phones as opposed to 27% of girls.

According to the World Bank:

In 2020 Only 30% of Africans had access to the internet, meaning 70% of Africans did not have access.
In 2021, it rose to 33% in sub-Saharan Africa.
19% of women in Africa used the internet in 2020 compared to 86% in the developed world.
Women in low and middle-income countries are 16% also less likely to use mobile internet than men.

Policy and government-level changes to bridge the gender technology gap

1. Understanding the phenomeon

To bridge the gender divide gap, there is a need to understand the reasons why these gender gaps persist. One major barrier is lesser access of women and girls – access to data, devices, and networks than boys. Low infrastructure levels, network quality, and coverage also affect women and girls more.

Furthermore, women most of the time earn between 30 to 50% less than men, are less financially independent, and have less disposable income to spend on mobile or internet services. Some of these women even have their access to mobile phones and the internet restricted or monitored by men. Particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls who live in rural areas experience serious gaps in infrastructure and network coverage.

2. Social norms and gender inequality

Another reason is social norms and gender inequality. Several communities perceive the internet as a risk to traditional social order and view it as a risk for women and girls. Research has however shown that when social barriers are removed, more women and girls can become frequent and active users of the internet.

3. Inequality in education

The third reason is inequality in education. When access to digital technology is not regular, women and girls can’t develop digital literacy by becoming familiar with digital platforms, devices, and services.

4. Lack of gender sensitive technology

Lastly, the lack of digital products and services designed for women and girls also hampers their digital literacy. This makes them more vulnerable to online risks such as abuse, data privacy issues, and cyberbullying than men and boys.

Solutions for gender equity in access to technology

Access to digital literacy
There should be digital literacy training for fathers, mothers, and other family members so that the value of digital adoption for girls is better understood. It will give them the chance to support girls to be online safely and remove the notion that the internet is a dangerous and unsafe place.

Creation of government policies
National governments and policymakers will also have to ensure that gender laws are used when any legal frameworks for online safeguarding, security, and data privacy are considered. Protection has to be ensured for both genders.

Collaboration between gender organisations and government
Women and girls’ organisations also need to work hand in hand with the governments and policymakers to come up with these frameworks so that the voices of girls are heard. They need to be included in decisions that concern them.

Creation and design of a technology-integrated education system
Education policies should focus on digital skills for girls as well as boys. Training for these skills should be added to the formal school curricula from the primary school level to ensure that these skills are built over time and at an early age.

Collaboration with internet and mobile companies
Collaboration with the private sector such as mobile operators and network providers can also help to support the development of digital literacy for girls especially those that live in very remote places or are out of school.

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Girls and women in ICT

7 million people work in the ICT sector but only 30% are women. 6% of CEOs at the top 100 global technology companies are women.

Technology is paramount to the education of young girls, especially in Africa. An estimated 40% of girls lack access to technology.

Girls are at a higher risk of missing out on education due to persistent myths and misconceptions surrounding their education.

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Women Empowerment by Men - Beliefs and Practices

2/1/2023

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Women Empowerment by Men -Beliefs and Practices

What is the perception of men (husbands) to women empowerment?

As with any issue, perceptions of men and husbands towards women empowerment can vary greatly depending on the individual and their personal beliefs. Some men and husbands may have a positive view of women empowerment and may actively support efforts to promote gender equality. They may believe that women should have equal opportunities and rights as men and may work to create a more inclusive and equitable society.

On the other hand, some men and husbands may not fully understand or support the concept of women empowerment. They may hold traditional beliefs about gender roles and may not see the need for women to have equal rights and opportunities. These individuals may not be willing to challenge the status quo and may not support efforts to promote gender equality.

Ultimately, it is important for all men and husbands to recognize the value and importance of women empowerment. By supporting efforts to promote gender equality, men and husbands can help create a more inclusive and equitable society for everyone. This can benefit not only women, but also men, families, and communities.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Why do husbands treat their daughters differently from their wives?

The reasons why husbands might treat their daughters differently from their wives can vary greatly and can depend on a variety of factors. Some possible reasons for this behavior include societal norms and expectations about gender roles, personal experiences and beliefs, and individual differences between the husband, wife, and daughters.

One possible reason for why husbands might treat their daughters differently from their wives is societal norms and expectations about gender roles. In many societies, there are traditional beliefs about what men and women should and should not do, and about how men and women should be treated. For example, some men may have been raised with the belief that daughters should be treated differently from sons, and that it is their responsibility to protect and provide for their daughters. These beliefs can shape how men interact with their daughters and with their wives and can result in different treatment of their daughters compared to their wives.

Another possible reason for why husbands might treat their daughters differently from their wives is personal experiences and beliefs. A husband who had a difficult relationship with his own father may want to treat his daughters differently in order to provide them with a better experience. Similarly, a husband who had a positive relationship with his mother may want to emulate that relationship with his daughters. These personal experiences and beliefs can influence how a husband treats his daughters and his wife and can result in different treatment of the two.

Finally, individual differences between the husband, wife, and daughters can also play a role in why husbands might treat their daughters differently from their wives. For example, a husband may have a closer relationship with his daughters than with his wife or may feel more comfortable and familiar with his daughters than with his wife. This can result in different treatment of the two, even if the husband does not intend for this to happen.

Overall, the reasons why husbands might treat their daughters differently from their wives can be complex and varied. It is important for husbands to communicate openly with their wives and daughters and to strive to treat everyone in their family with respect and kindness. By doing so, they can help create a more positive and healthy family dynamic.

Photo by Trust "Tru" Katsande on Unsplash

Factors that influences husbands’ beliefs to treat daughters differently from their wives?

Culture: Culture can influence the way that husbands treat their daughters and wives in a variety of ways. In some cultures, there may be a belief that daughters are not as valuable as sons, and as a result, husbands may be more likely to prioritize the needs and desires of their sons over their daughters. In other cultures, there may be a belief that women are inferior to men, and husbands may therefore treat their wives with less respect and kindness than they do their daughters. Additionally, cultural beliefs about gender roles and expectations can also play a role in the way that husbands treat their daughters and wives. For example, in cultures where men are expected to be the primary breadwinners and providers for their families, husbands may be more likely to devote more resources and attention to their wives, who are seen as responsible for managing the household and caring for the children.

Religion: Religion can influence the way that husbands treat their daughters and wives in a variety of ways. In some religions, there may be specific beliefs or teachings about the roles and responsibilities of men and women within the family, which can shape the way that husbands view and interact with their daughters and wives. For example, in some religious traditions, women are seen as the primary caregivers and nurturers within the family, and as a result, husbands may be more likely to prioritize the needs and desires of their wives in these areas. Additionally, religious beliefs about the importance of certain gender roles and expectations can also play a role in the way that husbands treat their daughters and wives. For example, in some religious traditions, men are expected to be the spiritual leaders of the family, and as a result, husbands may be more likely to devote more attention and resources to their wives, who are seen as responsible for managing the household and caring for the children.

Male peer influence: Male peer pressure can influence the way that husbands treat their daughters and wives in a variety of ways. In some cases, peer pressure from other men may encourage husbands to prioritize the needs and desires of their daughters over their wives. For example, if a husband's friends and peers are constantly praising and reinforcing the idea that daughters are more valuable and deserving of attention than wives, he may be more likely to internalize these beliefs and act on them in his own relationships. On the other hand, peer pressure from other men may also lead husbands to prioritize their wives over their daughters. For example, if a husband's friends and peers are constantly reinforcing the idea that men should be the primary providers and protectors for their families, he may be more likely to devote more time and resources to his wife, who is seen as responsible for managing the household and caring for the children. Ultimately, the specific ways in which male peer pressure influences husbands' beliefs and behaviors towards their daughters and wives will depend on the specific values and beliefs that are prevalent among a husband's social circle.

Societal Expectation / patriarchy: Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold dominant power and women are subordinated to them. In a patriarchy, men are often seen as the "natural" leaders and decision-makers in the family, and women are expected to defer to their husbands and fathers. This unequal power dynamic can influence the way that husbands treat their daughters and wives in a variety of ways. For example, in a patriarchy, husbands may be more likely to prioritize the needs and desires of their daughters over those of their wives. This can happen because, in a patriarchy, daughters are often seen as a reflection of their fathers and husbands, and as a result, fathers and husbands may be more invested in ensuring that their daughters are well-cared for and successful. Additionally, in a patriarchy, husbands may also be more likely to prioritize their wives over their daughters. This can happen because, in a patriarchy, wives are often seen as the primary caregivers and nurturers within the family, and as a result, husbands may be more invested in ensuring that their wives are well-cared for and supported.

Ways to treat women in the home to model female empowerment for girls

Changing husbands' beliefs and behaviors to support their wives and model female independence and empowerment to their daughters can be a complex and challenging process. However, there are some steps that men and society can take to help facilitate this change:

Educate men about the importance of gender equality and the harm caused by gender-based discrimination and violence . Men need to understand the reasons why supporting their wives and promoting female independence and empowerment is important, and how it can benefit not only their wives and daughters, but also themselves and society as a whole.

Encourage men to challenge and reject harmful gender norms and stereotypes. Men need to be aware of the ways in which gender norms and stereotypes can limit and harm women, and they need to be willing to challenge and reject these norms and stereotypes in their own beliefs and behaviors.

Provide men with the tools and resources they need to support their wives and daughters. Men may need support and guidance in learning how to be better allies to their wives and daughters, and this can be provided through education and training programs, mentorship and peer support, and other resources.

Create a social and cultural environment that supports and rewards men who are supportive of their wives and daughters. Men are more likely to change their beliefs and behaviors if they are surrounded by other men who are supportive of gender equality, and if they are recognized and rewarded for their efforts to support their wives and daughters.

Engage men in discussions and dialogue about gender equality and the role of men in promoting female independence and empowerment. Men need to be included in the conversation about gender equality and the ways in which they can support their wives and daughters. This can be done through public forums, group discussions, and other platforms that allow for open and honest dialogue about these issues.

In summary, changing husbands' beliefs and behaviors to support their wives and model female independence and empowerment to their daughters will require a collective effort from men, women, and society as a whole. By working together and supporting one another, we can create a more equal and just world for all.

Author: Ali Jagne

Mr. Jagne, A Finance professional with a hobby in expository writing inspired by an interest in human behavioral topics.

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Charity Volunteer Work in Africa and The Gambia

6/12/2022

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Charity Volunteering Work in Africa and The Gambia

Girls in The Gambia face adverse challenges of child marriage, child labour, trafficking, FGM, and exploitation and are often deprived of their basic needs. With lives revolving around decisions made by others, the only option left for them is to abide by these decisions without a say in their own life stories. This makes it impossible to create their own identity, to think as an individual, and to create a life of their own.

Charity Volunteering with girls' education charities

Every grave circumstance that hesitates to intrinsically progress requires an external push to feel empowered. How can you be this source of encouragement?
When you choose to volunteer for girls in The Gambia, you not only feel a sense of accomplishment but have also managed to turn around life for the better! With the help of your mentorship, girls in The Gambia could benefit from it on a personal note as well as in their careers.

Anyone can make a decision to volunteer. It is one of the most rewarding and satisfying attributes of life. You get to meet new people, absorb quality skills, and gain valuable experience along the way. The outcome of your support creates a huge impact on your community and societal goals.

Volunteering Supports Girl Child Education & Empowerment?

Volunteering can be greatly gratifying. Once you’re sure of how and where you want to spend your time, it becomes easier to give it your all. Volunteering can advance your career to a great extent. It teaches you several valuable skills and also enriches your morals and values. One of the essential areas to contribute your time could include girl child education and empowerment.

Children greatly benefit from your communication with them. It helps them improve their behaviour and interpersonal skills. They further learn how to communicate and interact with individuals of other nationalities and cultures, thus making them more hospitable and good-natured.

You would notice lower drop-out rates from school. When children find something unusual and different, this naturally creates curiosity in them. Your participation adds this element to their lives. With consistency in variety, children are easily motivated to go to school and apply the learnings practically in their lives too.

Connecting with children also means connecting with their vulnerabilities, talents, flaws, and ideologies. As a volunteer, you could help shape these by connecting with their emotions. Children then tend to develop better positive emotions in the process.

Once they go through emotional development, they tend to have higher self-esteem and refrain from placing their worth in hands of others.

Children can aim higher and have bigger goals and aspirations, extending the boundaries that society sets for them. They can visualize a stronger future and carve a strong voice.

These emotional developments and communication abilities help them develop stronger relationships with family, friends, classmates, and society at large.

They also take care of themselves, are aware of their bodies, and find ways to keep them healthy and sustain a good lifestyle.

Most children dread going to school because of its monotonous routine. When you help volunteer a child, they tend to look forward to the routine by altering their mindset and ways of looking at their school life. They create a positive outlook and engage with their studies in hope of finding something new to learn every day.

Charity Volunteering and mentoring can put a child in the position to gradually “choose”, to be conscious of her rights, and have the strength to speak up and fight for herself.

Here’s how you can make a difference!

SaGG Foundation is one such medium to empower young girls with a voice of their own through education. Being a female-educated individual is quite a rare sight in The Gambia and despite the adverse problems faced, we strive to bridge this gap and sponsor girl child education.

How can you make a difference?
There are numerous ways of joining the SaGG Foundation. Opportunities here are unlimited and flexible. All you need to do is get in touch with us. Use this opportunity to volunteer and help young girls receive their basic right to education. You can help out by:

Teaching with us to improve the techniques of learning experiences for girls in The Gambia
Become a fundraiser and support young girls embarking on their educational journey
Be a part of our Digital Team to support the fight for social equality from the comfort of your home.

We want our society to prosper by shaping young Gambian girls into courageous, bold and independent leaders. To achieve this, we actively participate in providing them with education, mentoring services, programmes, workshops and seminars. It is imperative for our girls to become wholesome individuals using their utmost potential both, inside and outside the classroom. Revolutionizing the generational and traditional norms, we want to give every girl her own story!

Are you willing to help us bridge the gap? Come, let’s empower our girls together!

Blog

Girls Menstrual Education Empowerment

Girls' Menstruation Education Empowerment: Society's Role in Supporting Girls' in Education

Menstruation Education: How Can Everyone Help Girls?

Addressing the challenges during girls' menstrual cycle:

Menstruation Education Empowerment:The Detrimental Impact of Menstruation Stigma on Girls' Education

Sustainable Menstrual Hygiene Solutions for School Girls: Education and Support

Read Our Featured Blogs and More!

Barriers To Girls' Education in Africa

Women Empowerment by Men

An equal world is an enabled world

Follow our socials for more updates

Categories

Gender Equality in Technology and Innovation

DigitALL: Gender Equality in Technology and Innovation

Benefits of Digital Technology and Innovation for Women

Gender disparities in Technology and Innovation

Policy and government-level changes to bridge the gender technology gap

1. Understanding the phenomeon

2. Social norms and gender inequality

3. Inequality in education

4. Lack of gender sensitive technology

Solutions for gender equity in access to technology

Read Our Featured Blogs and More!

Girls and women in ICT

Girls' Education and Technology

5 Myths of Girls' Education

Follow our socials for more updates

Blog Categories

Women Empowerment by Men - Beliefs and Practices

Women Empowerment by Men -Beliefs and Practices

What is the perception of men​ (husbands) to women empowerment?

Why do husbands treat their daughters differently from their wives?

Factors that influences husbands’ beliefs to treat daughters differently from their wives?

Ways to treat women in the home to model female empowerment for girls

Author: Ali Jagne

Read Our Featured Blogs and More!

How can fathers empowers girls

How to create an equal world

Girls' education impact

Follow our socials for more updates

Charity Volunteer Work in Africa and The Gambia

Charity Volunteering Work in Africa and The Gambia

Charity Volunteering with girls' education charities

Volunteering Supports Girl Child Education & Empowerment?

Here’s how you can make a difference!

What is the perception of men (husbands) to women empowerment?